Saari was born in Kauniainen, Finland. When he was a child, Saari sung in a choir and played the cello and trombone. He received his first guitar at the age of ten, and it later became his main instrument. In 1992 Saari begun his studies at the Jazz Department of Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where he studied the guitar and composing. Saari graduated as a Master of Music in 1999. His graduate concert at the Savoy Theatre in Helsinki was an audiovisual experience.
