Olavi Louhivuori is a Finnish jazz drummer and composer born on July 13, 1981, in Jyväskylä. Raised in a musical family, he studied violin, cello, and piano before switching to drums at age nine. While attending Cygnaeus High School, he performed with the Joona Toivanen Trio. Louhivuori graduated from the Finnish Music Conservatory in 2002 and later studied at the Sibelius Academy under Jukkis Uotila. In 2002, Louhivuori co-founded the Ilmiliekki Quartet, which released the debut album March of the Alpha Males in 2003. He established the experimental ensemble Oddarrang in 2003; their 2006 debut, Music Illustrated, received the Jazz-Emma award. His recording career included the solo albums Inhale Exhale (2008) and Existence! (2014). Louhivuori collaborated with musicians including Tomasz Stańko, Jon Balke, and Marilyn Crispell. He won the Nordic Jazz Comets competitions with three different ensembles between 2000 and 2006. In 2014, Louhivuori was named Pori Jazz Musician of the Year.
