”Plays like a village full of haunted fiddlers”, wrote the leading Finnish newspaper about Emilia Lajunen.
Emilia Lajunen (born 1979) is a well known professional Finnish folk musician, known for her personal, strong, and modern style of playing the violin. Her style of playing claims its origins in archaic heritage and fiddler music. Lajunen’s instruments are the 5-string fiddle, kontrabasharpa and nyckelharpa. She is a member in such groups as Emilia Lajunen & Eero Grundström, Suo, Spontaani Vire, Juuri & Juuri, Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala and Ritva Nero.
Lajunen has performed at various stages in Finland and abroad in the Nordic countries, India, USA, Canada and South Korea. She has released two solo albums, Turkoosi Polkupyörä (Texicalli Records 2012) and Legacy of the Dead: Deep in the Dregs (Nordic Notes 2023) which raises a whole village full of possessed fiddlers from their archival graves. Their age-old craft is combined with Emilia Lajunen’s unique style and electrified by Eero Grundström, Lajunen’s musical partner of two decades. Lajunen explored in depth the expression of the dancing musician-composer and the tradition of the contemporary professional folk musician in her doctoral studies. And now she has a doctor’s degree in fiddle and nyckelharpa (Sibelius Academy).
Besides being a musician and working with several bands, she has composed music for dance and theatre productions Puupoika (2006), Katrillia kahdessa ajassa (2018), Mytty-iltamat (2018), Kulkue-Parad-Parade (2022) and two different co-operative projects, one with Dance Theatre Tsuumi’s Suojelija (2024) and other one called Syntyä / syvyydestä with dancer Outi Markkula and scenographer Jaana Kurttila (2025) for ITAK at Kuopio.
Lajunen has succeeded in many solo competitions in folk music. She won 2th prize of solo class in NORD 08, Scandinavian Master Competition in 2008, in Sälen Sweden. She has won twice Konsta Jylhä -competition at first as a soloist in traditional serie in 2011 and in 2012 with Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala also in traditional serie. Besides that she has been nominated for the Teosto prize in 2014 with Juuri & Juuri: Quiet Rapture & Fiddlers CD and with the same duo they got Emma prize in 2014.
Emilia Lajunen was awarded artist of the year 2024 in Eläköön Folk -gala at Folklandia cruise. Also Majaoja Foundation gave Lajunen the recognition award as an artist during Kaustinen Folk Music Festival 2024 among other ten recognised artists chosen by the Foundation.
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