Born in Södertälje, Sweden, and brought up in the small village of Munsala in Ostrobothnia on the west coast of Finland (an area where the majority speak Swedish as their first language) I am a Swedish-speaking Finn in more ways than one. I feel almost equally at home in both countries but, like many Nordic people I know, I often talk about moving to southern Europe to get away from the long, cold and dark winters.

I live in Helsinki but spend time by the sea in Ostrobothnia whenever my schedule allows for it. I look forward to a time when I can study my scores somewhere warmer, maybe with a cat on my lap.