Cellists

Beata Antikainen (1993) is a Finnish cellist. She started to play the cello at the age of five as a student of Anja Maja. The studies continued in the Sibelius Academy‘s youth department with Hannu Kiiski and Marko Ylönen.

After finishing her bachelor studies in the Sibelius Academy, Antikainen moved to Berlin to study in the Hochschule für Musik ‚Hanns Eisler‘ in the class of Claudio Bohorquez. She also became a member in of the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic in 2020-2022.

Antikainen is a prize winner of the Finnish National Turku Cello Competition, the International Anton Rubinstein competition and the Peter Pirazzi Competition.

Antikainen is an active chamber musician and has performed in many festivals around the world such as Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Martha Argerich Festival, Helsinki Chamber Summer, Kultursommer Hessen, Avanti Summer Festival and ClasClas Festival. She is also the artistic director of the Hvitträsk Chamber Music Festival in Finland. She has worked with many musicians such as Guy Braunstein, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Amihai Grosz and Sunwook Kim to name a few.

As a soloist she has played with such orchestras as the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Ensemble and Baden Baden Philharmonia.

She has received scholarships from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Pro Musica Foundation and the Wegelius foundation.

Emīlija is a Latvian cellist, however likes to think of Helsinki as her home. She started her studies in Riga and since then has competed in many national and international competitions. In 2014 she received the prestigious Knut Lesin’s award, allowing her to have a solo tour in USA and Canada. Nevertheless, her greatest achievement so far has been accepting and nourishing her artistic abilities with kindness and care with the help of the calm Helsinki surroundings, her teacher, her friends and her cat.

Currently Emīlija is a Master’s student of the Sibelius Academy, studying in prof. Martti Rousi’s class. Along with her studies, she is excited about producing different types of projects and teaching. So far in 2023, Emīlija has been the production manager of CelloFest and a part of three world premieres.

Bruno Lima (b. 1996 in Maceió) is a cellist and composer from Brazil. He started to play the cello at the age of 16 in high school with Almir Medeiros, 2 years later he got accepted in the Bachelor’s Degree at the UFRN School of Music to study cello with Dr. Fabio Presgrave in Natal

He got his first musical notions from his father at the age of 4, then started playing the drums in the church from his hometown. Posteriorly, Lima started to play the saxophone and immersed in the world of Brazilian popular music and jazz, having then familiarity with improvisation and jazz harmony. Some years later he began to write arrangements for fun, which developed great interest in orchestration, traditional harmony and counterpoint.

Lima has been writing arrangements and compositions commissioned by some leading ensembles in South America, like the String Quartet of São Paulo, and his works have been played all over Brazil, also in the USA, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, China, Finland, among others. Last August, some of his works were played at the KKL in the Lucerne Festival by the Illumina Ensemble, the same group who commissioned and recorded his arrangements of Bond’s “Troubled Water” and Schubert’s “Der Doppelgänger”. He was also arranger in residence of the Ilumina Festival 2022

As a cellist and active chamber musician, Lima has collaborated with several musicians such as Tai Murray, Julian Steckel, Jennifer Stumm, Liza Ferschtman, Anthony Marwood, Christian Poltéra, Lars Anders Tomter among others. He’s currently the cellist and founder of Ruska String Quartet and has a duo with guitarist Otto Kentala

In 2018, Lima won two First Prizes in national competitions: Young Soloist Competition by UFRN and 6th Youth Talent Competition – Mansueto Barbosa Trophy. Later in 2020, he was granted the Erasmus+ scholarship for an exchange program at the Sibelius Academy, which he got accepted in the Master’s program 1 year later to study cello with Erkki Lahesmaa and composition with Tapio Tuomela. In 2022, he received a scholarship from the Hilti Foundation and was granted a Cunault cello from the Sibelius Academy.

Iiris Tarnanen is a musician and music educator living in Helsinki Finland. She works as a performer, composer, teacher, and producer. Her main instruments are the cello and voice, and she enjoys creating art where her skills are integrated. Iiris’s music has been described versatile, unique, and profound.

Recently, Iiris has worked with a radio documentary series Vankilataidetta for the Finnish National Radio Broadcast Company YLE. Her debut album The Day I Was Born, including 14 musicians and a variety of music genres, was released in March 2021 through record label Eclipse Music. Iiris teaches music to children at Music Theatre Kapsäkki and has participated in composing and performing theatre performances.

Iiris has a Bachelor’s degree in Global Music from University of the Arts, Helsinki, Sibelius Academy, as well as a degree from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences with Music Pedagogy

Iiris is passionate about diversity in music and life. She likes to take part in versatile projects including topics of equality, ecology, social well-being and science.

Josephine Knight’s highly acclaimed international career has spanned over 25 years performing in the world’s most renowned concert halls. Known for the great breadth of her activities and versatility as a soloist, chamber musician and as a pedagogue, Josephine has performed as a soloist with leading orchestras in the U.K. and abroad, working with distinguished conductors such as Sir Colin Davis, Edward Gardner, Richard Hickox and Vasily Petrenko. In 2005 Josephine gave her BBC Proms concerto debut with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Jac van Steen.
She has recorded for EMI Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, and Dutton Epoch. Her disc for Dutton Epoch featuring the Schumann and Piatti Cello Concertos (premiering her edition of Schumann’s Cello Concerto [Concertstück] published by Edition Peters), with the Royal Northern Sinfonia conducted by Martin Yates, attained global critical acclaim.  Following the success of her recording of John Tavener`s ` The Protecting Veil` which reached the Top Ten in the Classical Music Charts, Josephine subsequently gave the World Premiere and EMI recording of `Requiem` by Tavener, performing with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by Vasily Petrenko. More diverse collaborations have included recording with Nigel Kennedy, Paul McCartney and Madonna.

A sought-after chamber musician, Josephine has performed with many leading international artists including Daniel Hope, Maxim Vengerov, Lisa Batiashvili, Wu Han, Menahem Pressler, Michael Tree, and the Emerson and Takács Quartets. She regularly appears at international festivals such as Aldeburgh, Bath, Cheltenham, Gstaad, Mecklenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Salzburg, Schloss Elmau, Savannah, and Stavanger, and has performed numerous times at the Wigmore Hall and the Southbank Centre.

Josephine has received many honours including being elected a Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Music and Wells Cathedral School. She holds the Alfredo Piatti Chair at the Royal Academy of Music where she is Professor of Cello.

Josephine`s edition of Schumann`s Concerto (Concertstück) for cello and orchestra is the first ever publication of the original version which is published by Edition Peters. 

Josephine plays on a 1728 Johannes Guidantus cello purchased from Florian Leonhard.

Daniel Schultz (b. 1999 in Helsinki) has been studying cello at the Sibelius-Academy since 2018. Previously he studied at the youth department (Junior Academy) with Hannu Kiiski as his teacher. Since autumn 2020 his teacher is professor Martti Rousi. He started his cello studies with Jonas Franzon at Sandels Music School.
Daniel has performed as a soloist for orchestras such as the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Wegelius Chamber Strings and Bulevardin kamarimusiikkiseura (Chamber Orchestra).
Daniel took part in the Finnish National Cellocompetion Turun sellokilpailu in August 2022 where he received third prize.

Daniel´s instrument is an Italian Gabrielli cello built in 1752 owned by Kulturfonden.
Alongside his studies Daniel has been teaching cello playing at Sandels Music School in Helsinki.
In his spare time Daniel enjoys spending time with his friends and singing in Akademiska Sångföreningen, a male choir in Helsinki.

Andreas Brantelid was born in Copenhagen in 1987 to Swedish/Danish parents. After receiving early tuition from his father Ingemar, Andreas made his soloist debut at the age of 14 in a performance of the Elgar concerto with the Royal Danish Orchestra in Copenhagen. Today, Andreas is one of the most sought-after performing artists from Scandinavia, winning worldwide critical acclaim for his ability to make the music not only sound, but both speak, dance and sing.
Highlights of recent orchestra engagements include appearances with the London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC Symphony, and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras, Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Yomiyuri Nippon Symphony, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Radio Symphony, Hamburger Symphoniker, Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Munich Chamber Orchestra, as well as all the major orchestras in the Nordic countries. He has worked with many distinguished conductors including Andris Nelsons, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Philippe Herreweghe, Vasily Petrenko, Thomas Dausgaard, Pablo Heras-Casado, Andrew Manze, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Robin Ticciati, and Heinrich Schiff.

Among the musicians who inspired and strongly influenced Andreas are pianist Bengt Forsberg and violinist Nils-Erik Sparf, both of whom Andreas has played with since 2002 in different chamber music formats. Andreas has also collaborated with artists such as Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Joshua Bell, Vadim Repin, Nikolaj Znaider, Lawrence Power and Paul Badura-Skoda.

Recently he has formed a trio with Austrian violinist Benjamin Schmid and Norwegian pianist Christian Ihle Hadland.
Andreas plays the 1707 ‘Boni-Hegar’ Stradivarius, which has been made available to him by the generous support of Norwegian art collector Christen Sveaas. Andreas Brantelid lives with his wife and four daughters in Nærum near Copenhagen.

Senja Rummukainen was awarded the 6th prize in the international Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019. Few years before she won the 1st prize in the national Turku Cello Competition in 2014 and was a finalist in the international Guilhermina Suggia Prize in Portugal.

She is a regular guest at various music festivals such as the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Turku Music Festival, Oulu Music Festival and RUSK Chamber Music Festival. Rummukainen has played as a soloist with orchestras such as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the most important Finnish orchestras such as the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Pori Sinfonietta, Kuopio, Joensuu and Vaasa Orchestras with renowned conductors like Valery Gergiev, Leif Segerstam, Jorma Panula and Petri Sakari.

In 2017 she became the II principal cellist of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also played as a guest principal cello in the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Rummukainen is one of the artistic directors of ”Kamarikesä” festival together with Johannes Piirto, Kasmir Uusitupa, Tami Pohjola and Riina Piirilä.

Senja Rummukainen is currently finishing her Master’s degree at the Universität der Künste Berlin with professor Jens-Peter Maintz. Before that she has studied with Truls Mørk at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Young-Chang Cho at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen, Marko Ylönen at the Sibelius Academy and Taru Aarnio and Allar Kaasik at the East Helsinki Music Institute. Senja has participated masterclasses with professors such as David Geringas, Reinhard Latzko and Wolfgang Boettcher.

Her instrument is a cello by Stefano Scarampella (1897), generously loaned to her by Jorma Panula.

Suomalainen sellisti Senja Rummukainen nousi suuren yleisön tietoisuuteen vuonna 2019, kun hänet palkittiin kansainvälisessä Tšaikovski-kilpailussa kuudennella palkinnolla. Muutamaa vuotta aiemmin hän voitti myös ensimmäisen palkinnon Turun XII sellokilpailussa sekä oli yksi kolmesta finalistista Guilhermina Suggia Prize -kilpailussa Portugalissa.

Rummukainen on kysytty vieras merkittävimmillä suomalaisilla festivaaleilla ja esiintyy säännöllisesti mm. Kuhmon kamarimusiikissa, Turun musiikkijuhlilla, RUSK-festivaalilla Pietarsaaressa sekä Oulun musiikkijuhlilla.

Solistina Rummukainen on esiintynyt mm. Mariinski-teatterin orkesterin, Pietarin filharmonikoiden, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Músican sekä tärkeimpien suomalaisten orkesterien, kuten Helsingin kaupunginorkesterin, Tampere Filharmonian, Turun filharmonisen orkesterin, Keski-Pohjanmaan kamariorkesterin, Pori Sinfoniettan sekä Kuopion, Joensuun ja Vaasan kaupunginorkesterien kanssa monien aikamme suurien kapellimestarien kanssa, joista mainittakoon mm. Valeri Gergijev, Leif Segerstam, Jorma Panula ja Petri Sakari.

Rummukainen valittiin Helsingin kaupunginorkesterin 2. soolosellistiksi vuonna 2017 ja on myös toiminut vierailevana soolosellistinä Oslon filharmonisessa orkesterissa.
Hän on yksi Helsingissä järjestettävän Kamarikesä-festivaalin taiteellisista johtajista yhdessä Johannes Piirron, Kasmir Uusituvan, Tami Pohjolan ja Riina Piirilän kanssa.

Rummukainen viimeistelee maisteriopintojaan Berliinin Taideyliopistossa professori Jens-Peter Maintzin luokalla. Hänen aikaisempia opettajiaan ovat olleet Truls Mørk Norjan musiikkikorkeakoulussa, Young-Chang Cho Essenin Folkwang-yliopistossa, Marko Ylönen Sibelius-Akatemiassa sekä Taru Aarnio Itä-Helsingin musiikkiopistossa.

Rummukaisen instrumentti on Stefano Scarampella-sello vuodelta 1897, jonka hänen käyttöönsä on ystävällisesti antanut Jorma Panula.

Finnish-Dutch cellist and rising star, Jonathan Roozeman is already establishing himself as a player of exceptional musical integrity. His phenomenal, expansive, and versatile sound lends itself not only to works of the core classical repertory, but those by Kabalevsky, Kokkonen and Vieuxtemps amongst others. He has regular collaborations with conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Osmo Vänskä, Dima Slobodeniouk, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

In the 2022/23 season, Roozeman collaborates with the choreographer, Saburo Teshigawara, on a production at the Aichi Prefectural Art Theater Concert Hall in Nagoya based around solo works by Bach, Kodaly and Cassado. He will also be performing at the ARK Classics Festival in Tokyo. He will work with acclaimed orchestras such as Tampere Philharmonic/ Matthew Halls, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra/Julien Masmondet, returns to the Gulbenkian Foundation while also making his recital debut at the Concertgebouw with pianist, Varvara.

In recital he has appeared at the Berlin Konzerthaus as part of Sir András Schiff’s residency, as well as giving a debut recital tour in Canada which included the prestigious Vancouver Recital Series. Other highlights include London’s Baroque at the Edge festival and the Ark Hills Festival in Tokyo.

In previous seasons Jonathan has given a series of performances of Mania by Esa-Pekka Salonen as part of a project between the Sibelius Academy and the Juilliard School of Music under the baton of the composer in Helsinki, at the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm and at New York’s Lincoln Center.

The youngest prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015, Roozeman also became a finalist at the Naumburg International Cello Competition in the same year. He was a finalist at the Porto Premio Suggia in 2013 as well as reaching the semi-finals of the International Paulo Cello competition in Finland and taking second prize at the National Cello Competition in The Netherlands in 2012.

Roozeman was previously a student of Martti Rousi at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki and graduated in July 2020 from the Kronberg Academy under Frans Helmerson. He plays a David Tecchler cello c.1707 on loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation and his bow was made by Jean Pierre Marie Persoit in Paris, c.1850.

Sujari Britt showed her prodigious talent and uncanny devotion to and understanding of music from a very early age.  She began formal study of the cello at age four, following her study on the violin, and piano.

Sujari earned her Bachelor’s of Music in Classical Cello Performance at Manhattan School of Music in the studio of noted pedagogue Marion Feldman. Sujari presently studies with renowned cellist and pedagogue Martti Rousi, Sibelius Academy in pursuit of  her Master’s of Classical Cello Performance.

For Spring 2018, Sujari was featured in the annual Beijing Super Cello Festival,  Beijing China. In addition, Sujari accepted a speaking invitation by C2 Montreal  for the 2018 “Transformative Collisions”. In Fall 2017, Sujari  delivered a solo concert sponsored by Marietta College for the annual Esbenshade Series at People’s Bank Theatre, Marietta, Ohio. In Spring 2016 Sujari was featured in Canada’s Neopolitan Connection Concert Series. She performed solo with Memphis Symphony Orchestra in November 2015, solo with the Chicago Sinfonietta in January 2015, and opened the 2014-15 season with Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra as soloist in their Classics Series. Sujari was featured at the UN’s international HeforShe in September 2014, and she presented at Madison Square Garden during quarter time for the NY Knicks in January. In October 2013 Sujari was a featured artist for the Shakespeare Company’s annual gala honoring Elizabeth McGovern at the Harman Arts Center in Washington, DC. Also in the 2013 season, Sujari performed at the United Nations for 2013 annual World Humanitarian Day on August 19th. Sujari served as the featured guest performer for the Adrian Symphony Orchestra Casual Classic Concert in May 2012. In May 2011 Sujari was the featured artist at the 28th Annual Children’s Concert for the Gary Historic and Cultural Society in Gary, Indiana. In 2010, Sujari closed  the 11th Annual International Tropical Baroque Music Festival of the Miami Bach Society in Coral Gables, Florida, and in April, she performed at Carnegie’s Weill Hall as a winner of the National Young Musicians Concerto Competition. She was invited as a guest performer at the Fifth Annual Midori and Friends Children’s Music Festival where she shared the progamme with Midori and with renowned clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera. In November 2009, Sujari had the honor of performing with Alisa Weilerstein at the White House for President Obama, the First Lady, and their distinguished guests, where she was brought to the attention of many notables in the classical music industry.

Sujari was featured in Strings Magazine Fall 2015, and was StayThirsty Winter 2014 Spotlight Artist to watch! Sujari also was featured in an on-line THKR/RadicalMedia PRODIGIES, a TIME for Kids/Time Magazine article, Ebony.com and a segment of Katie! with Katie Couric. Sujari joined a host of prodigious young movers of the world on TEDx-Redmond of TED Talks, and was featured as one of NBC TheGrio’s “100 History Makers in the Making.”

Sujari serves in the Arts Leadership Program of From the Top. She is the distinguished recipient of prestigious academic scholarships and awards, and grand prize winner of numerous national and international competitions. 

In addition to being a member of JoSunJari, a classical string trio with her sister Joelle (violin), and her brother Sunnaj (violin); Sujari is a member of various troupes and ensembles of classical, jazz, and eccelctic genres. Of note, Sujari is a member of Aziza and the Cure, a self-styled symphonic-soul-pop band co-founded by her sister Joelle; and the Harlem Chamber Players, a local classical ensemble.

Sujari has participated in international and local summer music festivals including Manhattan in the Mountains, JVL International Music Festival, New York University String Camp, Greenwood Music Festival, Gateway Music Festival, and Kaufman String Camp and Hartt School of Music World Cultural programs (Prague, Budapest, Italy).