Born in Laitila, Finland, Kari started studying classical piano at the age of 8.
At the age of 12, he got his first guitar, and since then started to concentrate on playing guitar instead of piano
Kari was autodidact until the age of 23, when he entered in Pop/Jazz Conservatory music school in Helsinki, Finland. After graduating from music school, Kari continued on a degree program of pop/jazz music pedagogue in Stadia, Helsinki, Finland. In Stadia Kari studied with a well-known Finnish jazz guitar player Pekka Luukka.
In 2003 Kari moved to Belgium and studied jazz guitar also with famous Belgium Jazz players Peter Hertmans and Philip Catherine.
At the moment Kari is finishing his Master Degree of Jazz in Gent Conservatory, Belgium.
Kari has also followed master classes for example with Jim Hall, Ben Monder and Michael Brecker
Kari has worked with many top Finnish jazz musicians, for example Lasse Lindgren, Ari Jokelainen, Esa Pethman, Toni Porthen, Ulf Krokfors and Niklas Winter.
In Belgium he has played jazz with Geraardsbergen 86 big band, and Gent Conservatory big band, both led by a famous Belgium trombone player Marc Godfroid. He has also had opportunity to work in Belgium with Hans Van Oost(with whom he has a jazzguitarduo), Kris Duerinckx, Herman Pardon and Fredrik Heirman with whom he was accompanying in Erasmus Jazzprize Competition 2004 in Rotterdam, Netherlands resulting 2nd.
Kari has also performed in Denmark, France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland in different occasions.
Kari has his own Kari Antila Trio which is active both in Finland and in Belgium performing his original compositions and jazz standards.
Kari has also taught many years in different music schools in Finland and participated as jury faculty in Turku Conservatory, Finland.
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