Olli Hirvonen (b. 1989) is a Finnish jazz guitarist currently based in New York City. He is the most accomplished Finnish guitarist of his generation, having already been chosen as the Artist of the Year of the Pori International Jazz Festival 2011 and having an international career well on it’s way.

Born in the city of Lappeenranta, a lakeside town in southeast Finland, he began his musical studies at the age of nine at the local music institute with classical guitar and piano.After finishing high school in 2008, Hirvonen began his studies at the prestigious  jazz department of Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and in August 2011 he relocated to New York City to pursue his Master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, where he has been studying with such jazz luminaries as Rodney Jones, Dave Liebman, Jim McNeely and Phil Markowitz.

Hirvonen has been performing with his own ensembles all around the world since 2008. These performances include numerous clubs in New York, such as Cornelia St. Cafe and Somethin’ Jazz Club, and festivals in Finland and abroad, including the main stage of Pori Jazz, the most famous jazz festival of Finland, Kennedy Center Nordic Cool Festival, Sounds NEW Contemporary Music festival in UK and Tudengijazz in Estonia.

Hirvonen was nominated as the Artist of the Year of the Pori Jazz 2011 festival, which is one of the highest and the most visible recognitions in the Finnish jazz scene. Included in the award, his trio also worked as the house band for the 2011 festival.

Other ensembles he has been performing with are MSM Brass Orchestra, MSM Jazz Philharmonic, Umo Jazz Orchestra, The Great Helsinki Swing Big Band, Life Size and Merrily And The Poison Orchard.

Olli Hirvonen was awarded the Erik Lindström Fund's scholarship of 2.500 Euros in 2013.