Photo: Iiro Rautiainen

Reetta Kataja

Violinist Reetta Kataja (b. 1986) started playing the violin at the age of 5 at the South Ostrobothnia’s Music School under Tarja Turunen. Reetta studied at the Sibelius Academy and the Detmold Academy of Music in Germany, where she graduated with a master’s degree in music with excellent honors in 2012 from Elina Vähälä’s class. Important teachers and mentors for her have been e.g. Anatoli Melnikov, Janne Malmivaara, Tero Latvala and Elina Vähälä. Reetta was the 1st concertmaster for the Lapland Chamber Orchestra in 2013–2020. Reetta started as alternating concertmaster of the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra in July 2020. Reetta is also a member of the Kokkola Quartet.

Reetta has participated in master classes by Hagai Shaham, Jaakko Kuusisto and Tuomas Haapanen. He has studied chamber music, e.g. with Paavo Pohjola, Marko Ylönen, Minna Pensola, Xenia Jankovic, Peter Orth and the Auryn Quartet and has participated in master classes by Ralf Gothóni and Eberhard Feltz.

As the first concert master, Reetta has played e.g. Tapiola Sinfonietta, Sinfonia Lahti, Lappeenranta City Orchestra and Detmolder Kammerorchester. She has also served as 2nd concertmaster in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

Reetta’s music has been heard as a soloist of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra and Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Rauma Festivo, Avanti! Summer Sounds and Jousia Ensemble, as well as on numerous different recordings.