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Sub-principal

Tanja Nisonen

Tanja Nisonen began her musical studies in Joensuu, initially playing the flute and piano, but later switched to the French horn during her junior high years. However, she took a break from playing for many years as the idea of becoming a professional musician did not cross her mind. Nisonen returned to playing at the age of 22 and began studying piano at the Sibelius Academy under the guidance of Timo Ronkainen. She has also studied in Hannover under Markus Maskuniitty and privately in Oslo with Frøydis Ree Wekre. She won her first audition while in her first year at the Sibelius Academy. Through orchestras in Lappeenranta and Tampere, Nisonen eventually became a member of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003.

Nisonen has built an international career by serving as the principal French horn player for orchestras such as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Las Palmas Orchestra, and has made guest appearances with several foreign orchestras. A testament to her international recognition is her invitation to the International Horn Society seminar in Ghent, Belgium, where she was one of five invited female French horn artists. She was particularly pleased to receive an invitation to record Brahms' French horn trio in London for the ICSM
record label.

Her love for chamber music led Nisonen to found the ArtSoppa chamber music association in 2008, which produces multidisciplinary concerts combining various art forms with traditional chamber music. As an active chamber musician, she has performed not only at Finnish festivals but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Spain, and Norway.

As a soloist, Nisonen has performed with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as in Lappeenranta, Joensuu, with the Navy Band, the Symphonic Wind Orchestra, and the CMT Orchestra.

Currently, Nisonen is preparing for several recording projects. On her solo album, she focuses on works for the French horn by female composers, while the French horn quartet 4th Line records Finnish-Scandinavian French horn music.

Teaching French horn playing is close to Tanja Nisonen's heart. Since 2010, she has served as a French horn instructor at the Turku Conservatory and the Turku University of Applied Sciences. She has also conducted masterclasses at the Granada and Malaga conservatories and various French horn events both domestically and internationally.

Tanja Nisonen's family includes her spouse Erkki Nisonen, as well as twin sons Eerikki and Taneli, and a mixed-breed Spanish water dog named Churro. They spend summers at a large family cottage in Tammela and spend winters renovating a house built in 1890 located in downtown Turku.