(Photo: Laura Vuoma) Maria Puusaari Suomeksi - In Finnish Born 1977 Violinist Maria Puusaari is one of the most prominent interpreters of contemporary music in her generation. She has premiered a big number of works by Finnish and Scandinavian composers. Puusaari's strong sound widens to a subtle and deliciously coloured gentleness, which makes her equally at home with the basic classical repertoire. She started her studies at the Oulu Conservatoire with Larissa Lev, and studied at the Sibelius- Academy, Helsinki, with Merit Palas between 1995 and 2003. Puusaari has attended master courses with Mi-Kyung Lee, Ana Chumachenko and Jacques Ghestem as her teachers. In 2001-2 she studied in Budapest with Vilmos Szabadi. Puusaari graduated from the Sibelius Academy in 2003 with highest possible grades. Puusaari is the leader of Uusinta Chamber Ensemble and a member of the Uusinta String Quartet. Among the ensemble's own projects she has performed at various festivals, such as Musica Nova, Time of Music, Ung Nordisk Musik, Turku Music Festival and The Järvenpää Sibelius Week, as well as in Poland, Hungary, France and Spain. Puusaari is a member of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Contact: Maria Puusaari