Photo: Anna-Maria Viksten

Charlotta Westerback

Charlotta Westerback is a Finnish viola player currently finishing her studies under the guidance of Pirkko Simojoki at the Sibelius Academy. Westerback started her studies at the age of 6 in the East-Helsinki Music Institute with Tiina Konttinen. From there she progressed to the Sibelius Academy Youth Department, studying with teachers Teemu Kupiainen and Pirkko Simojoki. Another notable mentor of Westerback has been Yuval Gotlibovich, with whom she studied at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Switzerland. She has also enriched her musical education on the masterclasses of musicians such as Gérard Caussé, Garth Knox, Lawrence Power, Ivan Vukčević, and Tabea Zimmermann.

As a soloist Westerback has performed with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in their Young Soloists Concert, as well as with the Wegelius Chamber Strings in their Young Soloists Concert and in Jorma Panula’s residence in Piiparila with Voluntas Chamber Orchestra.
Notably, in 2022, Westerback received a prize of recognition at the Oulu National Viola Competition for an outstanding interpretation of a modern Finnish composition.

With a passion for chamber music and playing with others, Westerback has participated in esteemed Finnish classical music events. She has performed at festivals such as the Kuhmo Chamber Music, and was selected as the Young Artist of Hauho Music Festival of 2023.
Westerback has also performed at the Pro Musica Foundations annual Autumn Concert in 2023, as well as Ekenäs Summer Festival and the newly founded Radalla Festival in Espoo.

Westerback has received support from respected foundations, such as The Pro Musica Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the Martin Wegelius Memorial Foundation, all of which have kindly supported the studies and the career of the young Finnish violist.

Westerback plays the viola by Joannes Florenus Guidantus from 1737, generously loaned to her by the OP Art Foundation.