Finnish violinist Sini Simonen enjoys an active international career as a chamber musician and soloist. She was the leader of the Castalian String Quartet, whose performances included recitals at the Carnegie Hall, Washington Library of Congress, Berlin Philharmonie, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. The quartet held the position of Hans Keller String Quartet in Residence at Oxford University.

Sini studied at the Sibelius Academy, Musikhochschule Hannover and Musik-Akademie Basel with Lara Lev and Rainer Schmidt among others. Masterclasses and collaborations with Ferenc Rados, Gerhard Schulz and Sir Andras Schiff provided important influences.

From 2013 to 2017, she was a violinist of Esbjerg Ensemble, one of Denmark’s oldest chamber groups. The ensemble is comprised of a string quartet, wind quintet and percussion, and it is known for its innovative programmes combining contemporary and classical works.

Collaborations with composers are a vital part of her musical life. Recent and upcoming commissions and premieres include working with Charlotte Bray, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Thomas Larcher and Anna Clyne.

Simonen has won top prizes in international competitions including the Flesch, Lipizer and Cremona violin competitions and the Brahms, Lyon, ARD and Banff chamber music competitions. Her recordings include Bach’s double violin concerto with Helsinki Strings (Warner), Vivaldi’s concerto for 3 violins (tacet) and an award winning album featuring quartets by Beethoven, Adès and her own arrangements of renaissance music (Delphian).

Simonen is a professor of violin at the Royal Academy of Music.