hometown: Hameenlinna, Finland

how old were you when you started playing violin? 4 1/2.  I found my Dad's old violin in the closet and declared I was going to be the best violinist in the world.

where did you go to school? I have both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Juilliard, and as a kid I studied in the Pre-College department of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and did two years of undergraduate studies there too before auditioning at Juilliard.

who has been your biggest influence in your violin studies? Lewis Kaplan, with whom I studied at Juilliard (and who was the sole reason for my moving to NYC at age 20). He made me question everything I thought I knew about music and playing the violin, and for that I am forever grateful.

do you have any secret talents? I have a few... I've trained in Iaido, which is a Japanese martial art where you practice kata (pre-set series of movements) with a samurai sword, so I can chop things in half with a sword (or battle-axe).  I also trained in Wing Tsun kung fu for a few years, but gave that up for boxing when I moved to NYC.  I boxed and trained in MMA for about four years while going to Juilliard.  I also train my horse for dressage and I can speak five languages.

why do you like playing in quartet442? Because these are wonderful and interesting musicians!  It is a joy to play with such intelligent and sensitive players.