Ilkka Hongisto

French horn, sub-principal

I grew up in a family of musicians in Järvenpää. Most of my parents’ friends were musicians too, so there were plenty of role models around for me to choose a career in music. Mind you, it was not an easy road. In my youth, I played several instruments interchangeably without getting to know any of them properly. As a teenager, I finally settled on the horn as my main instrument.

I ended up studying to be a musician at the Sibelius Academy of Uniarts Helsinki after first trying my hand at environmental engineering at Lahti University of Applied Sciences. Music eventually proved stronger. At the Sibelius Academy, I first studied with Kalervo Kulmala and then with Tapiola Sinfonietta’s own Tero Toivonen, who to my delight is now my colleague with whom I make music on a daily basis.

I started in the Tapiola Sinfonietta at New Year 2018, when I was finishing my studies. Outside work (and sometimes at work), I play guitar and piano and write music, and I am now learning to play bluegrass banjo. Sometimes I find myself playing football or reading something about the sustainable economy.