Aki Välimäki

Aki Väkimäki started playing the trumpet at the age of 7 in the Pirkkala Congragation Band and, later, attanded the Tampere Conservatory as a student of Raimo Sarmas. He graduated from the Sibelius Academy where he studied with Erkki Karjalainen. Mr. Välimäki completed his studies Copenhagen, Zurich and New York. He has held positions with the Pori and Turku City Orchestras, the Finnish National Opera and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Välkimäki has appeared as a soloist with most Finnish orchestras. He has also played in various chamber orchestras, such as the Avanti! chamber orchestra and the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra. He was Principal Trumpet of the Tampere Philharmonic from 1990 to 2015, when he steeped down to the Sub-Principal Trumpet position.

As an educator, Mr. Välimäki has worked at the Tampere University of Applied Sciences, the Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences, and the Tampere Conservatory from 1990 to 2015. In 2015, he accepted a position as Music Lecturer of Trumpet at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts. In recent years, Mr. Välimäki has also beeen a guest teacher at music academies in Trondheim, Vilnius, Poznan, and Cagliari. He has adjudicated many interntional trumpet competitions.