Violinist Kari Olamaa graduated as Master of Music in 2015 from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where he was taught by Seppo Tukiainen and Professor Kaija Saarikettu. In 2009 he graduated from the Helsinki University of Applied Sciences, where he also studied music education, the baroque violin, the viola and conducting.

Olamaa has been a full-time member of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra since August 2016. From 2011 to 2016 he worked as concertmaster with “Helsinginkadun Filharmonikot”, one of Finland’s top amateur orchestras. As a baroque violinist he performs regularly with Finnish early music groups such as the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and Ensemble Nylandia. He has also premiered contemporary works in Helsinki, London, Berlin and Tokyo as a founding member of Varjo Ensemble.