Johanna Telander

Biography

Johanna Telander is a Finnish-American composer/lyricist, recording artist, singer-songwriter, and Grammy® voting member with over two decades of versatile experience in the entertainment industry. With roots in classical, musical theatre and jazz music, she trained at AMDA (NYC), studying musical theatre performance, and Capital University’s Conservatory of Music, where she got her BA in music, concentrating on jazz voice and theatre.

She is the creator of Kalevala: The Musical (book, music, and lyrics), an internationally acclaimed theatrical work inspired by Finland’s national epic, widely praised for its originality, poetic storytelling and cinematic, broad sound. Her other theatrical works include writing the music and orchestrations for the 2024 workshop production of Watcher in the Woods: A New Musical, and a third, fully sung-through musical is currently being developed for a 2025 debut.

Johanna composes for stage, film, and media, most recently contributing to the award-winning indie short Gray Land. Her signature style blends sweeping multi-genre orchestrations, folk motifs, and lyrical, singable clarity—rooted in her experience as a jazz vocalist and pop recording artist.

As a singer, Johanna has performed at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon alongside Residente and Bad Bunny. Her acting credits include 30 Rock and White Collar, and her voice-over work has supported global brands such as Volvo. She continues to release original singer-songwriter work, with harp-infused chamber pop stylings, such as Sandcastles and For You to Know.

Johanna is also a poet; currently working on a follow up to her acclaimed debut collection of Poems; A Deep Blue Green Song, published by Libresco Feeds Pvt. Ltd. When not engaged in creative pursuits, she is a mother, a yoga instructor-in-training, and a passionate advocate for nature, creative community, and spiritual well-being.