string orchestra
We have graduated as professional musicians and completed our studies in Finland and/or abroad, as well as worked extensively in the music industry in various roles such as soloists, chamber musicians, or orchestral musicians.
In artistic planning we aim at having an impact and creating concerts that are compelling, and open up new perspectives on humanity and phenomena of our time. We approach the cultural heritage of Western art music from an interdisciplinary point of view to create a broad interface with art and thereby bring music close to people.
Welcome to get to know us!
Anna-Mari Autere, violin
Anna-Mari Autere is a musician and music educator who has made Turku her home. Since 2019, she has been working as a full-time violin and viola teacher at the Vakka-Suomi Music Institute, also leading the region's string orchestras. In addition to her teaching, she plays with the Haapavesi Chamber Orchestra in her hometown and works actively as a freelance musician, particularly in the realm of chamber music. Beyond classical music, she enjoys world music and folk music, influences she embraced while growing up in Oulais and Haapavesi in Northern Ostrobothnia. Autere loves performing in small village settings as much as in grand concert halls. She finds joy in exploring the roles of violin playing in different interactions and environments. Generally, wherever you can take a violin, it's worth playing there too.
Autere graduated as a violin teacher from Centria University of Applied Sciences in 2017 under the guidance of Reijo Tunkkari. She studied chamber music with Hanna Pakkala and Lauri Pulakka. Expanding her skills, Autere earned a musician's degree on the viola at the Turku Conservatory in 2020. Currently, she is pursuing an advanced degree at Tampere and completing a classical violin performance diploma course under the guidance of Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch.
Emilia Sohlberg, violin
Emilia Sohlberg graduated from the Turku Arts Academy in 2022 with a degree in music education. There, she studied under the guidance of Alexander Vinnitski and Siljamari Heikinheimo. Sohlberg works as a versatile chamber musician and has played in the ranks of several professional orchestras. She is also one of the founding members of Soul Strings, a string ensemble based in Helsinki. The ensemble has performed in various venues, including a celebratory concert for Jukka Kuoppamäki at Taidekeskus Salmela, and collaborated on recordings with different big bands.
In the Turku region, Emilia serves as a violin teacher at institutions like Lieto-opisto and has also taught at the Turku Conservatory.
Her primary focus in music is on interpretation and creating engaging experiences for the audience, emphasizing the importance of conveying emotions and making a lasting impact through her performances.
Jaakko Mattelmäki, violin
Jaakko Mattelmäki is a violinist/violist and music technologist. He graduated as a music educator (Bachelor of Music) from the Turku University of Applied Sciences’ Arts Academy in 2011 under the guidance of Araik Resjan. He also completed his Master's degree in Turku in 2022. In 2005, he graduated as a music technologist from the Palmgren Conservatory in Pori.
Currently, he works as a violin instructor at the Rauma Music Institute. Alongside teaching, he actively plays in various chamber music ensembles. Nowadays, he is increasingly involved in cross-disciplinary projects, recordings, and musical theater productions.
Liisi Uusitalo, violin / Founder + Executive Director + Executive Producer
I have had the privilege of experiencing the power of music to bring people together, enrich lives, and continuously uncover new dimensions of what we consider music and the messages it can convey. In all my work, I strive for enabling more people to have the same experience—without prejudices or preconceptions about how music should be listened to. Therefore, my role is to serve our purpose of creating high-quality and compelling music and art experiences for the audience together with everyone who are involved. Every listener has the freedom to experience music from their own perspective and openly receive the message it conveys. Experiencing music requires only an open and curious mind, and as a musician, I want to convey to the listener what the composer intended to express.
I studied violin during my childhood at the Turku Conservatory, where aside my studies of violin music and technique, the greatest inspiration came from playing music together with friends and fellow musicians. It is truly enriching to share common experiences and memories through music, both with other musicians and the audience. Music took me on concert tours with the Turku Conservatory Chamber Orchestra to Europe, Russia, and the USA. My studies in music pedagogy at Turku University of Applied Sciences' Arts Academy were rewarding under the guidance of professors Alexander Vinnitski and Araik Resjan. Warm thanks to them and all the other pedagogues with whom I have had an opportunity to learn about music and violin technique since my childhood. I graduated in 2014 completing my soloist final exam on an excellent level. I had the opportunity to explore the rich expressive power of symphonic orchestral music during my internship periods at the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, where the close collaboration and intense interpretation of orchestra musicians and the conductor left an indelible mark.
As the violinist of the Lumo Ensemble string quartet (2012-2023), I've had the privilege of bringing music close to people in concerts, private celebrations, and events in Finland, including the Turku Music Festival, as well as internationally in Norway's Svalbard and Sweden, Tällberg. I have enjoyed working in the studio to record string arrangements for artists and composers such as Dino Mansik, Oona Sepponen, Benben (US), Von Konow, Veli Kauppinen, Sam Shingler, SUSANNA, and Mari Sainio. I have a broad interest in music, covering different genres and style periods.
My great larger-than-life challenge, goal and aspiration as a violinist is always to reach the core of music and have a small piece of the soul intertwined with the sound of the violin so that music can touch and speak to the audience. Classical instruments have the ability to uncover endlessly new ways of expression, which is fascinating and simultaneously makes me humbled by the miracle of music.
Even during my music studies, I became interested in furthering employment opportunities for cultural and creative industry professionals and the promotion of classical music. I am particularly interested in classical music audience engagement, and the relationship between culture and economics. To gain tools and open new perspectives in these matters, I pursued further education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration degree (Aalto University) and a Master of Arts degree in Musicology (University of Helsinki). I have contributed to the vitality of culture, a value important to me, in roles related to arts administration and event production. I have had the opportunity to work for fine actors in the culture field, including e.g. Turku Music Festival, Pori Palmgren Conservatory, Finnish Male Choir Association, Akateemiset Muusikot Oy, WeW! Contemporary Music Festival, Kimito Island Music Festival and Kuhmo Chamber Music.
Currently, I am contributing to the promotion of Turku's contemporary music scene as the Executive Director of the WeW! Festival. I am also responsible for developing concert productions of Bowplus with the entire orchestra and our collaborative artists.
Pedro Pablo Vasquez Ordenes, viola
Pedro Pablo Vasquez Ordenes is a chilean viola player, who has followed his love for music all the way from Chile to Switzerland and France and from there to Finland and Sweden. He did a preparatory course in Lugano at the conservatorio della svizzera Italiana with Danilo Rossi and continued from there to France, where he graduated from the Toulouse conservatory in 2016 having studied with Domingo Mujica, Louis Merlet and Michel Michalakakos. After France he started his bachelor’s degree in Turku Arts Academy, where he studied with Harri Sippel and Oleg Larionov. After getting his bachelor’s degree in music pedagogy in Turku AMK he started a master’s program in symphonic orchestra performance at the Gothenburg Academy of music and drama with Johanna Persson.
In Finland Pedro Pablo has worked in orchestras like Kuopion kaupunginorkesteri, Hyvinkään kaupunginorkesteri, Lappeenrannan kaupunginorkesteri, Lohjan kaupunginorkesteri and Hämeenlinnan kaupunginorkesteri. He has also done a lot of projects with the opera box productions in Helsinki and played six summers in Heinäveden musiikkipäivät. In Sweden Pedro Pablo has freelanced with Gothenburg Symphony orchestra, Helsingborg symphony orchestra, Norrlandsoperan, Norrbotten NEO and the swedish chamber orchestra. Chamber music is also very close to his heart and that’s why he often travels to Germany to play with his freelance chamber ensemble C/O chamber orchestra and is invited to join the chamber ensembles for the YOMA-course in Sweden. Other important teachers for Pedro have been Atilla Aldemir, Laura Groenestein, Markus Falkbring, Emil Jonasson, Hanne Skjelbred, Atte Kilpeläinen and Lilli Maijala.
Helena Vuola, cello
Helena Vuola began playing the cello at the age of 6 at the Turku Conservatory and continued her studies at the Sibelius Academy with Timo Hanhinen. She completed her Master's degree in music in December 2021 under the guidance of Tuomas Lehdo. In the academic year 2018-2019, Helena studied abroad in Hannover, Germany, under the instruction of Prof. Tilmann Wick. During her final year of studies, she also obtained a minor degree in baroque cello with Markku Luolajan-Mikkola. Helena has explored jazz improvisation with saxophonist Petri Puolitaival.
Helena has participated in master classes by renowned musicians such as Arto Norakse, Ivan Monigheti, Martti Rousi, Marko Ylönen, Niklas Schmidt, and Andreas Brantelid. She has performed with ensembles including Sinfonia Lahti, Vantaa Entertainment Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Jyväskylä Sinfonia, Kymi Sinfonietta, and Turun vanha musiikki ry. Helena enjoys presenting diverse musical styles and has performed in various settings, including Sysmä Suvisoitto, Flow Festival, and Kiteen Kamarikonsertit.
Alina Marttinen, violin
I graduated as a music educator from the Turku Arts Academy with the violin as my instrument (in 2017). Since then, I have taken on teaching substitute positions, including at the North Kymen and East Helsinki Music Institutes. I gained valuable experience playing in the Jean Sibelius Orchestra from 2007 to 2015 under the direction of Jukka-Pekka Saraste and other guest conductors, particularly in the orchestra's final years. I also had several internship periods with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Leif Segerstam (2014-2017). I've participated in numerous violin masterclasses during summers, such as at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival.
As a musician, I substituted in the Lappeenranta City Orchestra in 2022 and worked as a theater musician in the Lappeenranta City Theatre's musical "Myrskyluodon Maija" in 2012, as well as in Teatteri Imatra's musical "Piaf - Pikkuvarpunen" in 2023. Currently, I am studying in the teacher training program of the Finnish Suzuki Association (since 2019) and completing my master's program in musicology at the University of Jyväskylä (since 2019).
Katriina Rainio, violin
Katriina Rainio graduated as a music educator from the Turku Arts Academy under the guidance of Prof. Aleksander Vinnitski. Following that, she furthered her studies by completing a soloistic baroque violin degree at the Turku Conservatory under the direction of Hanne Lund. Rainio has worked with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kuopio City Orchestra. She has also played the baroque violin with the Kuninkaantien Muusikot and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra.
Currently, Rainio serves as a teacher at the Turku YMCA Music Institute and the Toivonlinna Open Music Institute, which she was involved in founding. As a chamber musician, she also plays the viola and folk instruments, including the saw. Rainio works as a studio musician and background vocalist.
She is intrigued by the possibilities of electronic music platforms. For example, at the WeW!22 Contemporary Music Festival, she performed composer Maija Hynninen's piece "...Sicut aurora procedit" for violin and electronics, as well as the collection "Barokin ajan helmiä" on a 5-string electric violin with a loop machine. Her saw playing can be heard on the 2012 album "Noch a Mól - Marko Autio: Kuoleman Uni," commissioned by a group performing art and folk music. In the European Capital of Culture 2011 program, Rainio was involved both as a performer and a composer in the contemporary circus performance "Pirjon paras päivä." Since 1998, she has led various ensembles in classical music, dance music, Klezmer and folk music, as well as baroque music genres.
Katariina Sallinen, violin
Katariina Sallinen is a freelance musician based in Turku. She has studied violin pedagogy at Turku Arts Academy and has played in various productions of Turku City Theatre, Åbo Svenska Teater, Dance Theatre Eri, Saaristo Opera and Whatever Works festival. She has also worked as a violinist in the city orchestras of Turku, Oulu and Mikkeli and she's a part of Kuninkaantien muusikot orchestra that specializes in early music. Katariina also plays actively chamber music and likes to perform anywhere a violinist is needed - in churches, on concert stages and in rock clubs.
Tuuli Laurikainen, viola
Violist Tuuli Laurikainen began her violin studies at the age of 6 at the Turku Conservatory under the guidance of Marianna Kokko. At the age of 15, a series of coincidences led her to switch to the viola, marking the beginning of a long and shared adventure in the world of music.
Starting her professional studies at the age of 21, Laurikainen received scholarships and grants for her outstanding academic performance. She graduated as a music educator in 2014 with excellent grades. Tuuli fondly and gratefully remembers her teachers in both solo and chamber music, giving special thanks to Harri Sippel, Oleg Larionov, Jouni Rissanen, Alexander Vinnitski, Marko Autio, Erkki Lahesmaa, Jukka Perksalo, and Teemu Kupiainen.
Orchestral and chamber music hold a special place in Tuuli's heart, and she has performed in various ensembles and events across Finland, Europe, and even in America. Over the last ten years, Tuuli has been most visible as part of her own ensemble, Lumo Ensemble, which has performed at events such as the Turku Music Festival and the Chamber Music Week at Henrik's Church (2022).
"Music has led to journeys around the world, brought new friends, and truly magical experiences. Without music – there would be nothing."
Niina Parkkonen, viola
My musical background lies in classical music and the traditional music of my region. Early music education in my hometown, Pieksämäki, was exceptionally rich under the guidance of Tuula Hätinen. We danced, sang, played instruments, engaged in play, created musicals, and performed. As an adult, I pursued viola instrument studies and pedagogy with instructors such as Hans Lodders and Harri Sippel in professional studies. I graduated as a music educator in 2012. Chamber music plays a significant role in my viola playing, and I have had the privilege of performing in trios, quartets, and orchestras both in Finland and Austria. Later, I delved deeper into music pedagogy, exploring it from the perspectives of world music cultures, ensemble playing, and free accompaniment at the University of Jyväskylä. Currently, I am conducting doctoral research related to rural school identities and art intervention.
There are moments when spoken words fall short. In those times, I play my viola and feel like a part of something that the listener can experience peacefully in their own way. The world resonates with me through art, science, and human communities. Orchestral playing embodies values that are important to me, and within the orchestra, I've learned the language of music and the harmony of playing together.
Katariina Kolehmainen, cello
Katariina Kolehmainen is a cellist and music educator originally from Sulkava. As an orchestral musician, she has performed with ensembles such as the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic Orchestra.
In the spring of 2023, she completed her Master's degree in Orchestral Music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where she studied under Kati Raitinen and Johannes Rostamo. In 2018, she graduated as a music educator from Turku University of Applied Sciences under the guidance of Erkki Lahesmaa. She has furthered her studies in master classes with Andreas Brantelid, Helen Linden, and Torleif Thedeen.
Alongside her love for houseplants, Katariina's greatest passion is playing chamber music with friends. Various ensembles have provided her with opportunities to perform across the Nordic countries in different music genres.
Hanna-Viola Miettinen, cello
Hanna-Viola Miettinen holds a master's degree in cello from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and a music pedagogy degree from the Turku Arts Academy. Chamber music holds a special place in Miettinen's heart, and she actively plays in multiple ensembles. As a chamber musician, Miettinen has performed not only in Finland but also in countries such as Estonia and France. In addition to chamber music, she has played in several orchestral and opera productions in both Finland and Estonia. As a musician, Miettinen is particularly intrigued and inspired by the stories behind the music being performed, as well as the interaction and communication of wordless thoughts and emotions with the audience. When working as a chamber musician, she especially enjoys the interaction with her ensemble. Miettinen teaches cello at the Western Uusimaa and Nurmijärvi music institutes while preparing for upcoming concerts with her chamber music ensembles.
Li Qi, violin / concertmaster
Li Qi began studying the violin at the age of six under the guidance of his father. Later, he continued his studies at the Kunming Art Institute, Yunnan Arts Institute, and the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in China.
In 2008, Li Qi won the first prize at the Zemplen Music Festival competition in Hungary. The following year, in 2009, he was invited to perform as a soloist at the opening concert of the Zemplen Music Festival with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2011, Li Qi has been studying under the guidance of Professor Alexander Vinnitski at Turku University of Applied Sciences' Arts Academy. During his studies, he excelled in solo auditions and earned the opportunity to perform twice at the Young Soloists Concert with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra.
Li Qi secured the first prize at the Concert Festival International Competition, leading to an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, USA, in 2014.
In 2016, Li Qi won the audition for the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, where he currently holds a permanent position as a member of the orchestra.
Anna-Maria Huohvanainen, violin
Anna-Maria Huohvanainen (born in 1997) is a violinist with roots in Belgrade, currently based in Helsinki. She actively performs as a soloist and chamber musician, primarily focusing on contemporary music. Anna-Maria started playing the violin at the age of 4 in Belgrade under the guidance of Ljiljana Gligorevic-Fajgelj and graduated with excellent grades from the Mokranjacin Conservatory in the spring of 2012. She then continued her studies at the Turku Arts Academy with violin as her main instrument under the mentorship of Araik Resjani. In the fall of 2017, she completed her B-degree in violin and graduated as a musician from the Turku Arts Academy.
Anna-Maria is currently an active and versatile musician who enthusiastically participates in new art projects. In March 2016, her ensemble Fearless Warriors of The Roseland, where she contributes as a violinist and composer, received a grant from the Nordic Culture Fund. In November 2018, Anna-Maria performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Helsinki as part of the Side by Side project. She has played with various orchestras, including the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gothenburg Orchestra Academy, the Bolshoi Festival Orchestra, and the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, she has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Iceland, Sweden, Estonia, and Denmark. In 2019 and 2020, Anna-Maria served as the second violin section leader in the Lappeenranta City Orchestra. In the summer of 2021, she participated in masterclasses with Reka Szilvay and Jari Valo. Currently, Anna-Maria is completing her violin studies at the Sibelius Academy under the guidance of Tero Latvala and plays in the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.
Reetta-Liina Armio, violin
Reetta-Liina Armio (formerly Säilä) began playing the violin at the age of 5 at the Turku Conservatory under the guidance of Tiina Hanhinen. In 2009, she graduated from the professional musician training program with Alexander Vinnitski as her teacher.
Armio has participated in masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Rimtautas Cekuolis, Päivy Meller, Pekka Kuusisto, Ilja Grubert, and most recently, in 2022, Ofer Falk. In 2007, the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Finnish Conservatory Association awarded her a grant from the Astrid Joutseno Fund, along with the use of a high-value violin for two years.
She has served as a concertmaster in several student orchestras and, currently, in Akademiska Orkestern since 2010. Armio has been part of concert tours, performed, and worked as a soloist in various ensembles.
After completing the professional musician training program, she continued her violin studies under Alexander Vinnitski. In addition to her musical pursuits, Armio graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Turku. She is currently specializing in psychiatry and finalizing her doctoral thesis related to brain research.
Matilda Berghäll, viola
Matilda Berghäll is a violist who graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Music Pedagogy under the guidance of Harri Sippel at the Turku Conservatory in the spring of 2021. Subsequently, she commenced her Master's program in Orchestral Studies at the University of Gothenburg in the fall of 2021, studying under Johanna Persson. She has a keen interest in both orchestral playing and chamber music, having performed as a chamber musician at events like the Nauvo Chamber Music Days and the Sibelius in Korpo Festival with Folke Gräsbeck. In orchestral settings, she has contributed as a substitute player with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra since 2019 and the Gothenburg Opera since 2022. Matilda has received instruction from Atte Kilpeläinen, Paul Silverthorn, Hanne Skjelbred, Krystof Tymendorf, Pedro Saglimbeni, and performed as a soloist with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in the Young Soloists Concert in 2019.
Oliver Müller, cello
Oliver Müller studied at Tampere University of Applied Sciences and the University of Gothenburg, graduating with a Master's degree in music in 2017. Since 2012, he has worked as a cello teacher and musician in the Turku region, actively participating in events such as the What ever Works! contemporary music festival.
Elli Helske, double bass
Elli Helske graduated as a music pedagogue from the Turku Arts Academy in 2019. Following that, she continued her studies in Norway at the University of Stavanger under the guidance of Igor Eliseev, earning her master's degree in 2021. She further completed a Postgraduate Diploma in 2022. Elli has worked as a musician in various orchestral and chamber music ensembles, and she also teaches double bass and electric bass. Elli has a versatile interest in music and enjoys collaborative playing and new encounters in the world of music.