Juha Kangas studied the violin as a pupil of Onni Suhonen at the Sibelius Academy, spent five years in the viola section of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and from 1972 to 1986 taught the violin at the Central Ostrobothnian Music Institute in Kokkola. During his time there, in 1972, he founded the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, continuing as its Artistic Director until the end of 2008. He still works with the Orchestra as its Honorary Conductor.
Principal Guest Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra from 2001 to 2011, Juha Kangas regularly guest conducts other orchestras in Finland and in the Baltic region. He was awarded Finland’s State Prize for Music in 1992. Before this, in 1998, he had been the recipient of the Grand Latvian Music Award, the Pro Finlandia medal, the Finland Prize, and in 1999 the Estonian Heino Eller Prize. The honorary title of Professor was conferred on him in 2010.