Malmi, Mirka

From autumn 2023 violinist Mirka Malmi is a doctoral student in DocMus department, arts programme, Uniarts Sibelius Academy. She is doing research on the identity negotiations of women musicians and women composers in the 19th century, seen via the life of Amanda Maier-Röntgen (1853–1894), a Swedish-born violinist and composer. Mirka Malmi is a specialist of music by women composers. The series of eight concerts Women and the Violin (Nainen ja Viulu 2018–2020) curated by Malmi presented violin and chamber music composed by Nordic women between 1850 and 1950. It culminated in the premiere of the violin concerto Tondikt II (c. 1910–30/1) by Finnish composer Ida Moberg, with Malmi as a soloist. In November 2021 Mirka Malmi, together with pianist Tiina Karakorpi, released a cd (Alba Records) and a music edition (Fennica Gehrman) with a title Other Finnish Works for Violin containing twelve pieces for violin and piano by six women composers with Finnish origin. Mirka Malmi is an active partner in various chamber music ensembles and has given a number of premier performances. She appears regularly on various music festivals in Finland and is often heard on recordings for the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE. In 2019 Mirka Malmi appears on two cds: 4 Strings 4 Seasons (Pilfink Records) with Rapola Quartet and Dawn Breaks (Ravello Records) with ….sicut aurora procedit for violin solo and live-electronics by composer Maija Hynninen. Among Mirka Malmis´ interests are also cross-artistic collaborative projects. The premier performance of Pix Graeca, with aerialist Ilona Jäntti and composer Maija Hynninen, took place in Helsinki Music Center in September 2015. Another collaborative project, with acrobats Ilona Jäntti and Natalie Reckert, Ysaÿe Project is based on the Solo Sonata nr. 2 by Eugènie Ysaÿe (premier performance in Zug, Sept. 2017). In September 2018 Mirka Malmi performed with Elisa Rusi-Matero at The Nordic Music Days in Pas de deux by composer Tyler Futrell. Since 2002, Mirka Malmi holds a second violin position in the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her performing as a violinist, Mirka Malmi is an active organizer and visionary. Her merits in this field include Janakkala Chamber Music Concerts (Artistic Leader, 2004), Interdisciplinary Biannual Veikkola Dada (Founding Partner, 2005–2015), Sääksmäki Soi! Festival (Artistic Partner, 2008-2016) and Nainen ja Viulu Concert Series (Artistic Leader 2018-2020). Mirka Malmi studied violin and chamber music in Edsberg Music Institute, Stockholm, and Sibelius Academy, Helsinki under professors Ulf Wallin, Kaija Saarikettu and Mats Zetterqvist.