Finn wins LA Phil limelight

Laura Kukkonen, 18, from Finland, is the winner of the ‘Play with Ray’ competition at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Last night, Laura joined Ray Chen right onstage at the Hollywood Bowl to play the first movement of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with the LA Phil, conducted by Ben Gernon.

The runners up – Adriana Bec, 13, of San Antonio, TX, and Youngji Kim, 22, of Daegu, South Korea, got to play in the LA Phil first violins.

Laura Kukkonen said:’There are not enough words to describe how thankful I am for this experience. Getting a masterclass from Ray, playing on Guadagninis, doing extra activities, making new friends and, finally, performing with the outstanding professionals at the Hollywood Bowl – all of these are a dream come true and even more. This opportunity shows rare kindness and generosity which we often lack these days.’

Personal interest: Ray Chen is soundtrack soloist in my forthcoming film, The Song of Names.