Violinist Minna Pensola is known as an intense performer, invigorating soloist and energetic orchestra leader. As an inspiring fellow musician and teacher she is a regular guest at many international chamber music festivals.

Pensola is a versatile player in the music field and has established regular club evenings combining a casual bar night and classical live music in her hometown Helsinki, as well as PuKamaChamber concert series, which she runs together with her spouse, violinist Antti Tikkanen.

Active and close relationship with Finnish composers have produced many works dedicated to her. The upcoming seasons will bring premieres of a chamber work by Lotta Wennäkoski and double concertos by Iiro Rantala (with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen & Iiro Rantala, piano) and Jukka Tiensuu (with Tapiola Sinfonietta & soprano Anu Komsi).

Minna Pensola is the co-artistic director of Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival since 2021. During the seasons 2019-2024 she is the artistic partner of the Joensuu City Orchestra. Pensola was the artistic director of Sysmä Summer Sounds from 2006 to 2012 and a member of the curating group for the Helsinki Festival’s Wonderfeel-weekend in 2020-2021.

Pensola is a member of the award winning string quartet Meta4, teaches chamber music at the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA) and violin at the Sibelius Academy.

Her own studies started at the Helsinki Conservatory, continued at the Sibelius Academy and finally finished at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Zürich and the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA). Important guides on that journey include Leonid Mordkovich, Kaija Saarikettu, Ralf Gothoni, Ana Chumachenko, Josef Rissin, Hatto Beyerle, Johannes Meissl as well as countless inspiring colleagues along the way.

Minna Pensola's instrument is a Carlo Bergonzi violin from 1732, owned by the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation.

Offstage the swinging up-tempo is maintained by two daughters, two cats and a hamster.