(Photo: Laura Vuoma) Eva Ollikainen Suomeksi - In Finnish Born 1982 Conductor Eva Ollikainen began her piano studies at the age of three. From 1994 to 1999 she studied at the Sibelius Academy junior section and between 1999 and 2002 at the department of orchestral instruments. She took her diploma in 2002 with the highest grades, graduating as a Master of Music at the same time. Ollikainen even plays violin and french horn. As a pianist she reached the final in the Finnish qualification for the Eurovision contest for young performers and played as the soloist with the Finnish RSO. She has performed with own recitals and as a lied pianist in Finland, Switzerland and Israel. In autumn 2001 Ollikainen started at the Sibelius Academy conductor class with professor Leif Segerstam and Atso Almila as her teachers. Earlier she studied at Jorma Panula's junior class for conductors. She has also taken part in a few international master courses with Panula. During such courses she has conducted the Staatsfilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. Ollikainen has performed a lot of contemporary music and has done a few first performances. In Finland she has conducted a.o. the Tampere Philharmonic and Pori Sinfonietta. She is also the conductor of the Polytechnic Orchestra in Helsinki. Ollikainen joined Uusinta in spring 2003, showing quickly why she is considered to be one of the best talents among young conductors. In November 2003 Ollikainen won the first prize in the 2nd International Jorma Panula Competition for conductors. Contact: Eva Ollikainen