Photo: Vilma Tikkanen

Antti Tikkanen

Antti Tikkanen is originally from Oulainen, Finland, though he later settled in Helsinki. He began playing the violin at the age of seven. He then went on to the Sibelius Academy, studying under Lajos Garam initially, and then Mi-kyung Lee. He also studied under Zinaida Gilels and Pavel Vernikov as well as learning baroque violin with Kreeta-Maria Kentala. At the ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) his main teachers were Hatto Beyerle and Johannes Meissl.

As a member of the Meta4 Quartet, Tikkanen plays chamber music, but has also performed as a soloist with the principal Finnish orchestras. He organised the Kamari Soi! event in Oulu, and in his present city of residence he and his wife, violinist Minna Pensola, run a project known as the PuKama chamber music association in central Helsinki, which organises concerts throughout the year. Antti Tikkanen was Artistic Director of the Finnish Baroque Orchestra from 2014 until 2017.

He has available to him a Stradivari ’ex-Berglund’ owned by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

In October 2021 Antti Tikkanen and his spouse Minna Pensola were chosen as the new artistic directors of Kuhmo Chamber Music.