Piia Kleemola

I started playing classical violin when I was 7; before that I had played the piano for a couple of years. Very soon folk music came into the picture, as my teacher Timo Hannula founded the Haapaveden pikkupelimannit children's folk music orchestra. Thanks to folk music courses in Haapavesi, I became aware of a variety of folk music cultures of the world at a young age: we were taught by violinists from Finland as well as from Ireland, Sweden, Norway and the United States.

When studying in Kaustinen upper secondary school, which specialises in music, I had the opportunity to study folk music in the Junior Academy programme at Sibelius Academy, where I was first taught by Arto Järvelä. Since then my teachers have included Ritva Talvitie, Tellu Turkka, Erik Hokkanen, Timo Alakotila and Maria Kalaniemi. I have also been taught the secrets of Swedish folk fiddle style under the guidance of Ellika Frisell while spending a period in student exchange at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

The songs on this record are all from my programme for the Instrument Examination 2 in violin, which I took in December 2001. I wanted to concentrate on solo playing, and play pieces based on the Finnish folk fiddle tradition while also reaching further afield.