Ulla Soinne

Viola, principal

Music has always played an important role in my life. When I was a small child, I used to sit under the table and listen to the grown-ups talking. The words polyphony and Bach came up again and again, and even then I realised that these were among the most important things in life. Sometimes my father, an organist, took me to church to help him tune the instrument. I would sit on the bench and hold down one key at a time as he tapped on the pipe in question. When he shouted “Next!” from within the organ, I would press down the next key.

I also recall violist Tapio Myöhänen performing with my father at an evening music recital in the organ loft at Kuopio Cathedral. The sound of the viola enchanted me, and that enchantment has never faded. I joined the Tapiola Sinfonietta in 1992, after my studies and a number of twists and turns. The members of the Sinfonietta share a love of music, and I believe that our work gives us energy. I also like to recharge my batteries by walking in the forest.