Winning the competition – what it meant for you, the impact on your career.

Winning the Dublin International Piano Competition provided some very valuable career opportunities for me. The debut recitals in London and New York are a big deal for any young performer. In addition to the
international venues I always enjoyed coming back to Ireland and
performing all over the beautiful country.

Any special memory or anecdote

I have many fun memories from the time of the Competition and many
concert trips later.  My lovely host lady Mafra O’Reilly, who now sadly
has passed away, had a big and generous personality.  She welcomed me and another Finnish competitor friend of mine in her home, but maintaining  her active social life simultaneously might have been a bit stressful.  One evening I and my friend came back in the middle of one of Mafra’s dinner parties. Her guests were chatting loudly and enjoying the beverages, while Mafra sat at the end of the table – sleeping
peacefully.

Your experience during the competition

The sense of community in the Dublin Competition always felt quite
unique to me.  The Competition office, host families, the people helping
and driving competitors around – everyone seemed to be genuinely
invested in making the event a success.  When I had the opportunity to
experience the event as a jury member later, it was a joy to witness the
same spirit from another perspective.