Tipi grew up in Helsinki, surrounded by a family who were “musical, but not musicians”, and who wanted music lessons to be a part of their children’s lives. Tipi was encouraged to pick up the cello because one of the teachers at the local music school, upon seeing him as a toddler, declared that he “looks like a cellist!” Tipi is still not sure what this actually means.
Tipi has been the Principal Cello of the Australian Chamber Orchestra since 2006. He describes playing with a small, tightly-knit community of people as the natural habitat for someone with his musical personality. He says the close relationship he formed with his ACO colleagues, old and new, was instant.
Tipi performs on modern and period instruments and describes the cello as flexible and adaptive, both in its role in an ensemble and as a soloist across all forms of music. Tipi reflects this versatility and enjoys a varied career as a musician, play-directing from the cello and appearing as a soloist with many of the major orchestras across his two home countries, Finland and Australia. Tipi also has an active interest in new music, having commissioned and premiered concertos and other works written specifically for him.
Tipi plays a Brothers Amati cello from 1616, kindly on loan from the ACO Instrument Fund.
