BY KATHRYN SELBY
Timo-Veikko ‘Tipi’ Valve is a versatile musician performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader on both modern and period instruments. Tipi studied at the Sibelius Academy in his home town of Helsinki and at the Edsberg Music Institute in Stockholm, focusing in solo performance and chamber music in both institutions.
Tipi has performed as a soloist with all major orchestras in Finland and as a chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States. In 2006, he was appointed principal cello of the Australian Chamber Orchestra with whom he frequently appears as soloist. Tipi is a founding member of Jousia Ensemble and Jousia Quartet.
He’ll perform in the Selby & Friends tour Alchemy this month.
Where do you do most of your performing?
As the principal cello of the ACO, I travel all over the world playing around 25 concerts overseas and around 100 in Australia every year. Then I take all the available time off that I can get, and go back home to Finland to play even more concerts! Crazy, right?
How old were you when you first started playing your instrument? Do you remember why you chose it?
Six years old. So in Finland, that means a year before one starts school.
Our mum had the whole family piano trio idea going; my sister played the violin and my brother the piano. Luckily for us all, to avoid the cliché, they both decided to pursue ‘real’ professions.
What is your favourite aspect of being a performer in Australia?
The diversity of audiences, I guess. And the diversity of the country, of course, as well. I love to travel and Australia is a great place to travel in.
Do you think there is enough opportunity for chamber musicians in Australia?
Let’s say that I would not complain about it.
Why chamber music? What draws you to it?
We all have our own passions. For me, it is the need to be multifaceted, diverse, and open to everything. Chamber music is a huge part of every musician’s life. It’s the intimacy that draws us to it.
What do you like about Selby & Friends?
I love the fact that there is chamber music everywhere in Australia; subscription series are available in most major cities around the place all year round. Back home, chamber music is more concentrated to the summer festivals – a generous overload of it in a very short time period! Through these series, Australia has developed a matured sense for the art of chamber music.
What do organisations like Selby & Friends mean for Australian musicians?
For me, it means new contacts, new friends, new experiences.
See Tipi perform with Selby & Friends in Tour 2 – Alchemy, kicking off at April 28 in Mittagong Playhouse and running until May 7.
Read about Kathryn Selby in her interview with CutCommon.
Image supplied. Credit Jussi Sippola. Interview first published with Selby & Friends.
