Finnish Violinist Hannele Angervo-Segerstam has Died, Aged 80

A strong advocate of Finnish composers, Angervo-Segerstam held concertmaster roles at the Finnish National Opera and Radio Symphony

Finnish violinist Hannele Angervo-Segerstam began her earliest lessons at the age of 4 with Dina Ender and continued her studies at Finland's renowned Sibelius Academy with Irma Salmela-Suurpää and Arno Granroth. Continuing to Paris, she studied privately with Leon Nauwinc and then at the Paris Conservatory for two years in the class of Henry Merckel. She then spent a stint in New York, where her teachers were Louis Persinger, Endre Wolf, and Ivan Galamian.

Angervo-Segerstam launched her career in 1967 when she won the First Prize at Finland's national Kuopio Competition. In the same year, she was also named the recipient of the Harriet Cohen Medal.

She gave solo concerts across Europe, as well as in the Antipodes, and had a particular focus on performing music of the twentieth century. Throughout her career, she gave the premiere performances of new works by Erik Bergman, Per-Henrik Nordgren, Eero Hämeenniemi, Jyrki Linjama, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Magnus Lindberg.

Angervo-Segerstam began her orchestral career in the Finnish National Opera, before being appointed as second concertmaster of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1967. She rose to the rank of first concertmaster of the National Opera in 1978 and later returned to the Radio Symphony for second and third concertmaster roles.

She was also a pedagogue, holding positions at the Sibelius Academy and West Helsinki Music Academy.

Our condolences to Angervo-Segerstam's family, friends, and colleagues.