Tami Pohjola

Tami Pohjola is one of the great emerging talents among young Finnish violinists. She has already won both international and national competitions and performed around Europe. She has been praised for her secure technique and her tonally and emotionally wide-ranging expression. Her humble attitude to music has won over audiences internationally. She won the first prize in the International Dinu Lipatti Violin Competition in 2019 and in the Kuopio Violin Competition in 2015. She also won the International Young Musician Competition in Estonia in 2009 and was second in the Juhani Heinonen Violin Competition in Jyväskylä, in the Junior Category in 2009 and as a Seniorin 2012.

Pohjola has performed as a soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and The Hallé in Manchester, among others. She has worked with several renowned conductors such as Mikko Franck, Klaus Mäkelä, Sakari Oramo and Nicholas Collon.

Pohjola is also an active chamber musician. She has performed at several chamber music festivals, including Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, International Music Seminar Prussia Cove and Mantova Chamber Music Festival. She has also performed with renowned musicians such as Miriam Fried, Janine Jansen, Krzysztof Chorzelski, Ralf Gothon and Arto Noras.

Tami Pohjola started playing the violin when she was three years old and she studied with Grazyna Zeranska-Gebert in the Espoo Music Institute and then with Réka Szilvay at the Sibelius Academy. Since then, Pohjola has studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich with Mi-kyung Lee and currently she studies in Sion at Haute École de Musique Valais with Janine Jansen. Tami Pohjola plays a Guadagnini violin (1754) owned by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

In December 2023, Pohjola made her debut as soloist with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tarmo Peltokoski, performing Esa-Pekka Salonen's Violin Concerto. With the same concerto she replaced Pekka Kuusisto in the RSO's Independence Day concert on Dec. 6th. In February 2024, Pohjola performed as a soloist with the RSO, together with Julie Svačinová, performing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, conducted by Jörg Widmann.

"Tami Pohjola played Salonen's concerto magnificently, with dreamlike beauty as well as fiercely wild."

Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin Sanomat 7.12.2023

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"She had a rich, individual voice which led us through all the concerto's varied moods. There was a remarkable confidence and independence in her playing which drew us into this special world. Her virtuosity was always at the service of the music and her rapport with the conductor and orchestra was palpable."

Peter Connors, Bachtrack 14.10.2022

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"Violinisten Tami Pohjola var trygg och kunnig i sin ytterst krävande solistroll... Pohjola hittade satsernas olika karaktärer när hon mjukt och varsamt närmade sig den andra satsens lyriska stämning i fin balans med det diskreta men omsorgsfulla ackompanjemanget."‍

Rolf Nordman, Vasabladet 19.3.2021

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”Tami Pohjola is probably our next violin talent in line after Pekka Kuusisto and she played the well integrated solo part with all possible elegance of sound and sensibility of expression.”‍

Mats Liljeroos, Hufvudstadsbladet 11.3.2018

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”With her secure technique Pohjola got her violin to sing in a pure and fresh way.”‍

Jukka Isopuro, Helsingin Sanomat 13.6.2016

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Videolink: 

Andrea Tarrodi: "Acanthes" concerto for 2 violin and strings

Starts from 1h 44min

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

Tarmo Peltokoski, conductor

Kasmir Uusitupa, violin

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