Ilona Rechardt

Viola

I was born into a family keen on sports and music in Helsinki. I began my violin studies at the age of 11, inspired by the violin inherited from my grandmother. Having left school, I applied to the Sibelius Academy to study the violin and to the University of Helsinki to study medicine. The violin, and later the viola, turned out to be my profession, while medicine remained an amateur interest. I spent a year studying in the USA and was introduced to violin and viola pedagogy under Professor Mimi Zweig.

Having graduated from the Sibelius Academy, I spent two inspiring years with the Lahti City Orchestra [Sinfonia Lahti], where my violist career got off to a good start. I then auditioned for the new orchestra being set up in Espoo in 1987 and was delighted to be accepted. Since then, I have been enjoying the excellent team spirit, powerful desire for improvement and diverse range of activities that we have here. I am also pleased to be able to influence the content of my work. It is truly a privilege to be in the sphere of wonderful performing artists and interesting people in the shared pursuit of music.

I mainly enjoy classical music and opera, Bach and Schubert being among my favourite composers. My work and my family give me energy from one day to the next, and I also enjoy outdoor recreation and my visual arts pastime.