Timo Tolkki is a Finnish guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the founder and long-time driving force behind the power metal band Stratovarius. He led the band from its 1980s beginnings until his departure in 2008, making him its longest-serving member. Guitar World placed him among the all-time top 50 fastest guitarists in 2011. Since leaving Stratovarius he has run several projects, most recently Timo Tolkki's Strato - a reunion of the original Dreamspace-era lineup formed in 2023.
In March 2025, Tolkki cancelled a Latin American tour due to health problems - in December 2024 he was treated for psychosis and suffers from type 2 diabetes, which significantly limits his mobility.
The immediate cause of the tour cancellation was a fall at the airport while heading to the departure gate to Mexico.
Timo Tolkki released a new composition 'Faust' inspired by the work of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Tolkki announced the project Timo Tolkki's Strato - a reunion of the original Stratovarius lineup from the Dreamspace era with drummer Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist Antti Ikonen; the band signed a contract with Warner Music Japan.
According to available information from November 2025, the debut album of the Timo Tolkki's Strato project has still not been released due to recurring health complications.
