Elina Vähälä
Elina Vähälä was born in the United States and grew up in Finland. She first performed at the age of 12 with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Performances with the most important Finnish and international orchestras under renowned conductors followed. She played the world premieres of violin concerts by Aulis Sallinen, Jaakko Kuusisto, Kalevi Aho, and others, which were also dedicated to her. She is one of the few musicians who performs Jean Sibelius’ violin concerto in the early version.
Instructing also plays an important role in Elina Vähälä’s life. In 2009, with support from the Finnish Culture Foundation, she founded a violin academy for young Finnish talents. After holding a chair at the University for Music in Karlsruhe, she was appointed Professor at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Since 2021, she has been the Artistic Director of the Finnish festival “Summer Sounds in Sysmä”. Elina Vähälä plays on a violin built by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1780.
