Esko Laine,

Principal Bass

Born in Helsinki

Member since 1986-02-19

Boards:

Prizewinner at the ARD International Competition in Munich and the International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen (Saxony)

At the age of 13, Esko Laine started to play the double bass and had double bass instruction from Jussi Javas at the Hyvinkää Conservatory. He was just 18 when he joined the Helsinki National Opera Orchestra and appeared as soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Further studies followed from 1982 to 1985 with Günter Klaus at the Frankfurt Musikhochschule, with Franco Petracchi at the Geneva Conservatoire and at the Menuhin Academy in Gstaad.

As a double bass of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he took on the responsibilities of a principal from 1999 to 2001 and again since 2008. Esko Laine has given the premieres of several orchestral concertos and chamber works for double bass that were composed for him. Much sought after as a teacher of master classes and with renowned youth orchestras, Laine has since 2000 also been an instructor in the Philharmonic’s Karajan Academy and at Berlin’s Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule. He plays since 2002 in the Philharmonic Octet. He is member of the ensembles Bolero Berlin (since 2008) and Tango Finlandés.