Pianists

Sonja Fräki

Sonja Fräki (born 1977 in Helsinki) is an actively performing concert pianist. She is also an experienced and sought after accompanist and chamber musician. Fräki has performed as a soloist with various orchestras and works as an accompanist at the Sibelius Academy and at the Music Institute Juvenalia.

Mariko Furukawa

Japanese pianist Mariko Furukawa is a prize winner of prestigious competitions, an active chamber musician and an official pianist to music festivals and competitions. She obtains her masters degree from The Juilliard School. In 2019, she moved to Helsinki, and joined Sibelius Academy at University of Arts Helsinki as a full-time faculty.

Naoko Ichihashi

Naoko Ichihashi has been a lecturer at the Sibelius Academy since 2014. She is a respected and active musician and is constantly performing at chamber music events and is a pianist of International Paulo Cello competition and Jean Sibelius Violin Competition.

Matilda Kärkkäinen

Matilda Kärkkäinen is known as a versatile pianist with artistic activities ranging from solo piano music to chamber music and lied music. She holds a position as chamber pianist in Sibelius Academy since 2015. Ms. Kärkkäinen performs regularly in Finnish music festivals and has performed widely also internationally.

Valeria Resjan

In 1992 Valeria Resjan won the National Maj Lind Piano Competition together with Laura Mikkola. Resjan has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestra soloist. Nowadays, she is piano teacher at The Helsinki Conservatory of Music and a chamber pianist at the Sibelius Academy.