Elina Raijas

I grew up on a farm in western Uusimaa. My father used to make me willow whistles, but when these were no longer adequate, I decided I wanted to play a more versatile instrument. I began playing the recorder, taking private lessons from the cantor of a neighbouring village. The cantor accepted a sack of potatoes from our farm as payment – he wouldn't take money. After that, I followed a more conventional path: first to a music institute and then to the youth programme at the Sibelius Academy.

In 1989, I joined the Vivo Symphony Orchestra. It was my first experience playing in a large symphony orchestra. Vivo continues to do valuable work in training young musicians.

The final step toward becoming a musician was when I began my professional studies, first at the Sibelius Academy and later abroad. I had a fantastic teacher in Karlsruhe, Germany, who knew just how to push me to the limit so that I would really get to work. After my studies in Germany, I won my first audition and became a professional musician. If I didn’t play the flute, I don’t think I would play any other instrument; instead, I would be working in a completely different field.

I joined the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in autumn 1999 as an alternating principal flutist, but I had already auditioned for the position twice before that.

The very first professional orchestra audition of my life was for the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra at Finlandia Hall. I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

During an audition, you play from behind a screen so that the panel cannot see you. At Finlandia Hall, the screen was set up so that you stood on a choral riser at the back of the stage, with a curtain drawn in front of it. I was playing Vivaldi’s piccolo concerto there in peace when, suddenly, the lights went out in the middle of my performance.

With the wild imagination of a 19-20-year-old, I thought, “Aha, the jury is testing how I handle an unexpected situation.” I kept playing in the dark and performed the rest of the concerto from memory. I made it to the second round, at which point I started asking the other candidates at what stage their lights had been turned off. Of course, that wasn't supposed to happen, someone had simply turned the lights off by mistake!

My second audition for the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra didn’t go very well. By that point, I had already done quite a few auditions and had even won a position in Joensuu. However, I wanted to work in Helsinki, so I came here for the audition. Just as I was about to walk out to perform, I became incredibly nervous. My flute nearly slipped from my hands, my legs were shaking, and I think even my eyelids were trembling from the tension. I managed to play perhaps eight bars before the panel stopped me and thanked me. I realised that was the end of the audition for me: I hadn’t made it to the next round.

My third audition went better, and I got the position.

A typical day for me begins with breakfast, after which I commute to work by train or bicycle., We have rehearsals here at the Helsinki Music Centre, and then I grab some lunch. Afterwards, I either teach students, practice on my own, or go climbing, which is my favourite hobby. I used to think that someone with a fear of heights couldn't take up climbing, but it turns out to be quite the opposite. Through the sport, I’ve learned to manage and overcome my fears. You can use your breathing to get a grip on fear and calm yourself down. When you’re on a rock face and terrified you might die, the fear of playing a wrong note on stage doesn't seem so daunting anymore.

I absolutely love coming to work, because here I get to do what I enjoy most in life: playing the flute alongside amazing friends and colleagues. What more could a person ask for?