Timo Holopainen

II violin

I took up the violin at the Mikkeli Music Institute at the age of 10 – quite late by modern standards. However, music had had a presence in my life from early childhood, being an active hobby for both my parents and my siblings, whether on instruments or singing. Also, the weekly military guard band parades past our house impressed me hugely as a child.

We moved to Espoo in the late 1960s, and this improved my study opportunities, yet it was not until I gained entry into the Junior Department of the Sibelius Academy and later into its adult degree programme that my path towards a career in music began to coalesce. Another formative experience was playing with the Espoo Chamber Orchestra, the predecessor of the Tapiola Sinfonietta, which was quite a professionally organised outfit and which taught me many useful things about playing with a professional orchestra.

I was among the first to apply for the Tapiola Sinfonietta in 1987. Over the past 30+ years, I have been in multiple roles within the orchestra: first playing 1st Violin, then as Principal 2nd Violin and finally as a rank-and-file 2nd Violin. As a member of the Artistic Board for many years, I have been able to contribute to artistic decisions and repertoire planning. The orchestra has improved hugely during all this time, and I am still in awe of the passion that its members feel for their work.

It is often said of musicians that their job and their hobby coincide. This is certainly true for me. I do not listen to as much music these days as before, probably because my days are full enough of music as it is, but if I do slip a CD into my car stereo, it is most likely by Sting.