Biography

Erkki Kanto - moved to Los Angeles, CA, in 1985. Producer/director (more than 75 productions from 1979); performing and recording artist as a singer, entertainer, Master of Ceremonies, published composer/songwriter (more than 500 musical pieces (from 1962); teacher and coach for singers, entertainers and actors (from 1972); author (three books, from 2000); journalist/writer (more than 1500 published articles, from 1979); member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, voting for the Annual Golden Globe Awards (from 1992).

Erkki Juhani Kanto was born on August 22, 1945, in Tampere, Finland to Sirkka Kanto (née Salopuro) and Matti Kanto, both grocery store owners. His father, Matti Kanto, was also known as a singer (high lyric tenor), a recording artist, a painting artist and a performer in the theater and opera. Erkki Kanto was last child of five that were born to Sirkka and Matti Kanto.

Childhood: Starting from his first years at school, Erkki Kanto was performing as a singer in every school event, and he was really interested in writing (and also wrote) theatrical plays with music. Following his father's singing in opera and operetta, he attended most rehearsals and many of the performances. He was only six years old when he sang to the widow of the President of Finland, P.E. Svinhufvud. By the time Kanto was a teenager, knowing all the theatrical music by hart, he then loved performing scenes from plays, operettas and operas to family friends, sometimes accompanying himself at the piano. When recording own radio plays with his cousins, or playing scenes of great operettas with the neighborhood children, Kanto usually wanted to be the lead character or director, or both.

After the teenage years: Erkki Kanto studied the piano in Tampere's Music Conservatory, and after moving to the Southern part of Finland, he started taking singing lessons from two of the most famous singing coaches in the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Sulo Saarits and Jorma Huttunen. In the mid-1960, Kanto lived in UK for approximately two years, studying more music and singing. Back in Finland in the fall of 1978, he auditioned to the Helsinki National Opera, and the Chief Conductor and Music Director Ulf Söderblum asked him to return the following fall for solo parts. During the next months, a Finnish record company offered Kanto a recording contract (that continued for five years) as a singer and composer of some pop and romantic songs & music... and he never went back to the opera company. But he made seven LPs and received one Golden Record Award (for his Christmas album), and started performing in hotels and restaurants. Together with his wife, Ilona Kanto, he then started a private school for music and performing, which successfully stayed active for more than ten years, until the Kantos permanently moved to California.

In Hollywood, CA: Around mid 1980s Kanto gradually moved to Los Angeles, CA. In Finland, he had produced and/or performed in several radio and TV programs for the Finnish Broadcasting Company and Finnair airline; and in Los Angeles, to continue - he founded the production company Kanto Productions LLC, that later on started using a dba Atophill, working there as a producer, director and composer. Kanto improved his talent as a composer also by attending one season of composing and orchestration at UCLA, as well as his talent as a director, Kanto successfully participated in two director's courses. In 1992, Kanto joined the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that owns and with Dick Clark Productions produces the annual Golden Globe Awards event. Interviewing and weekly meeting Hollywood's biggest stars and their agents and managers opened a lot of doors for him. Kanto has been an HFPA Board Director and a Trustee and has also worked as an IT Director for the organization since 2000.

Productions after 1985:

Film The Monroe Detail Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) They Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) Second Life Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) Robbers Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) The Man Who Saw the Devil Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) Chalk Dust Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) And Justice for All Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) Amendment Two Producer/Composer Atophill Films (optioned) Children of the World Now (in pre-production) Producer/Director/Composer Atophill Films Cape Healer , a.k.a. The Lapponia Scriptures (in development) Producer, Composer Atophill Films Season of Solice (in development) Producer, Composer Atophill Films The Emperor's Medallion (in development) Producer, Composer Atophill Films Television Elvis Lives Producer, Director MTV3, Finland Ms. Mei Zi's Hollywood in China Producer, Director, Composer Kanto Productions LLC The Naked Truth about the Finnish Sauna Producer, Director, Composer Kanto Productions LLC Your Face Tells All (in development) Producer Kanto Productions LLC A La Jamaica Producer, Director YLE, TV1, Finland Making of the Simpsons Producer, Director MTV3, Finland Making of Empty Nest Producer, Director MTV3, Finland Help from PET Producer, Director MTV3, Finland Jari Kurri Producer, Director YLE, TV2, Finland Running 100 Miles Producer, Director YLE, TV1, Finland The Viking Producer YLE, TV2, Finland Children of the World - TV Series, 11 half hour episodes Producer, Director, Composer Kanto Productions LLC Industrial Guardian Cinematographer, Editor Guardian Products, Inc./Loren Masterson Airlessco Cinematographer, Editor Airlessco Co./Loren Marsterson YocoAir - Fitness with Smile Producer, Director Atophill Video Body Awareness Producer Fitness, Inc. 40 Minutes Producer, Director Finnair From Hollywood Producer, Director Finnair Let's Visit Disneyland Producer, Director Finnair Amazing Grand Canyon Producer, Director Finnair San Francisco Producer, Director Finnair A La Mexico Producer, Director Finnair Angela Producer, Director Finnair J. Paul Getty Museum Producer, Director Finnair Building the Blue and White Wings Producer, Director Finnair Welcome to California Producer, Director Finnair Barcelona Producer, Director Finnair Algarve Calling Producer, Director Finnair Jean Auel, The Author Producer, Director Finnair Yellowstone Producer, Director Finnair FinnFest USA 93 Producer, Director Finnair Sydney Producer, Director Finnair Hello Australia Producer, Director Finnair Fiji Producer, Director Finnair Kaino Hamu, The Immigrant Producer, Director Finnair Hawaiian Life Producer, Director Finnair Miami Producer, Director Finnair Key West Producer, Director Finnair San Juan, PR Producer, Director Finnair Caribbean Fascination Producer, Director Finnair The Great China Producer, Director Finnair Hong Kong Producer, Director Finnair All Aboard Producer, Director Finnair Albania Producer, Director Finnair Milan Producer, Director Finnair China Producer, Director Finnair Ft. Lauderdale, FL Producer, Director Finnair Karibia Producer, Director Finnair Colorful Southeast Asia Producer, Director Finnair Destination Boston Producer, Director Finnair Thailand: The Land of Smiles Producer, Director Kanto Productions LLC Japan: Ainu People of Hokkaido Producer, Director Kanto Productions LLC The Land of Smiles Producer, Director Finnair A Luxury Train Journey - the Indian Way Producer, Director Finnair / Atophill Your Face Tells All - Erik Kanto's Lecture Executive Producer, Director Kanto Productions LLC / Atophill Awards . Telly Awards, Bronze Award - Ms. Mei Zi's Hollywood in China, 1998 . Telly Awards, Bronze Award - Children of the World, 1996 . Telly Awards, Bronze Award - Guardian, 1995 . Telly Awards, Bronze Award - Come Back to Modern Finland, 1992 . Golden Record Award (Finland), singer/composer - The Bells of Christmas (album), 1983 . Communicator Awards, Communicator Award of Excellence - Ms. Mei Zi's Hollywood in China, 1998 . NEMN Awards , Bronze Apple Award - Children of the World (National Educational Media Network)