Get to know our creative professionals!
We are building a network for interdisciplinary collaborative concerts.
Helena Vuola, cellist and electric cellist
Helena Vuola, a 29-year-old cellist, graduated from the classical music department of the Sibelius Academy. In addition to playing the acoustic cello, she also plays the electric cello and the baroque cello. Her repertoire spans across various musical styles, ranging from classical to pop, rock, EDM, and early music. Alongside her studies, she delved into a year of jazz improvisation on the cello and enjoys performing solo, over backing tracks, with a DJ, or in various ensemble settings, from duos to larger groups. Helena has also pursued a minor in baroque cello performance.
Over the years, she has freelanced with various professional orchestras in Finland, performed at corporate and private events, state functions, and diverse festivals. Helena has also provided private cello lessons and worked as a substitute teacher at the Helsinki music schools.
TipTop Walkers, circus actor
TipTop Walkers is a circus company specializing in regional artistry, established in 2018. They've supported the imagination of their clients in hundreds of events through interactive characters and skilled circus performers, creating memorable occasions and enchanting worlds together.
The group comprises professionals in the performing arts, specializing in tailoring and conceptualizing unique visual circus experiences. One of their specialties lies in crafting various wooden-legged characters, from three-meter-tall stilt walkers to four-legged creatures.
TipTop Walkers have had extensive collaborations with amusement parks like Linnanmäki and Särkänniemi, as well as several cities and municipalities. They thrilled and delighted audiences at Linnanmäki's "iik!week" and the Light Carnival in 2023. Their clients have included companies such as Samlink, KPMG, Tunturi, Varjo Festival, Botania in Joensuu, and the European Master Games.
Silja Levander, pianist and clothing designer
Stockholm-based pianist and designer Silja Levander graduated in 2016 from the Royal Music Academy of Stockholm with a master's degree. She has been awarded scholarships from Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien, the First St. Johannis- freemason lodge, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Center Finland and the municipality of Nacka. Before moving to Sweden, Silja studied in Turku, finishing her B.A. in classical piano and music pedagogy in 2014 after another B.A. in fashion design (2009).
Nowadays Silja is an active pianist on and off stage, performing and teaching. She also designs and manufactures creations from burlesque outfits to ready-to-wear clothing and often wears self-made outfits to her concerts. Silja enjoys playing in different ensembles and working as a lied-pianist. In the summer of 2022 Silja went on a month-long tour of the USA and Canada with soprano Tessan-Maria Lehmussaari. This year in Mänttä we will see Silja reunite with cellist Sarah Devoyon: The two performed love-themed concerts at Mäntän Klubi in 2019 and are looking forward to working together again!
Lilli Haapala, visual artist
I am a visual artist based in Turku, Finland and I mainly work with installations, sculpture and video. In my works, I try to embody different perceptions of reality and the human relationship with nature through the water cycle, plants, miniature landscapes and dreams. Water has become an important element for me and I often work with it. I have worked in several residencies in the archipelago and my works has been presented in Finland and abroad in several exhibitions, festivals, environments, screenings and art museums.
I graduated from the Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts with a Master of Fine Arts in 2017, and a visual artist degree from the Turku Academy of Fine Arts in 2015.
I also work in the association of the Aark residence in Korppoo island. info: www.aark.fi
Robert Ruohola, composer
Robert Ruohola is a composer from Helsinki, Finland, whose influences range from Sibelius's symphonies to pop and beyond. He has composed music for the Albany Symphony, Helsinki Chamber Orchestra and Helsinki Police Band among others, and his pieces The Sun, my Father and Gates of Light have been awarded in Eviva & Exaudio's and Juventas New Music Ensemble's competitions. Ruohola's core musical values, which include perceptual freshness and instantaneity of expression, cohere across a diverge range of musical means. Ruohola studied composition at the University of Southern California with Ted Hearne, the Royal Academy of Music (London) with David Sawer, and is currently finishing his Master's degree at the Sibelius Academy where he studies with Juhani Nuorvala.
Dora Seitovirta, professional music theatre artist
Dora is an actress (FIA), singer, and dancer. She graduated from the Göteborg Ballet Academy in the summer of 2023 as a professional in musical theater, pursuing her craft with passion and emotion. Dora excels in various singing styles, with a particular strength in musical theater, especially in productions that utilize classical vocal techniques, such as classics like "The Phantom of The Opera" or "West Side Story." She also enjoys performing music from various genres.
In musical theater, Dora brings together her three beloved disciplines: singing, acting, and dancing. She studied classical singing for a long time before finding her path in musicals. The journey into musical theater immediately felt like home and continues to make her heart beat faster. What she finds most fascinating in her profession is the limitless opportunities to create something new and offer unforgettable experiences to the audience. Dora aims to share with the audience what she loves the most: bringing joy, experiences, and allowing them to momentarily forget the outside world, immersing them in the world of music.