Bridget Allaire-Mäki

Bassoon, sub-principal

Music became part of my life in Cincinnati, Ohio. My dad had the habit of playing classical music at a loud volume in our wood-panelled station wagon. I felt privileged to be able to play flute in a beginners’ ensemble at the age of 11; I discovered the bassoon at the age of 17.

Having completed a professional qualification in Cincinnati, I was admitted to the Geneva Conservatory in 1986. It was there that I met my husband, Harri Mäki. He convinced me that Finland would be a nicer place to live a life together than Switzerland, and in 1987 we both decided to audition for the Tapiola Sinfonietta. At that time, the ensemble consisted only of strings and a wind quintet. It feels so very long ago!

Today, I also paint, and my days are full to bursting, but both kinds of art feed energy into each other. What I appreciate most about my work in the orchestra are the moments when we are able to share something unique in concert, a united concept of the flow of time.