Linda Brava

Linda Brava, real name Linda Lampenius (born on February 26, 1970 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish violinist. She belongs to Finland's Swedish-speaking minority.

Background

Brava was born into a family and culture in which music formed a vital part of life. Her father is a theatre director, singer and also a composer of musicals and operetta. Her mother is a singer and actress. Brava grew up at the backstage of Svenska Teatern, and made her theatre debut at the age of three. When she was four, she was on Svenska Teatern's tour in Sweden and Norway and was attending the musical kindergarten. A year later, Brava was playing the violin instead of the piano under the Hungarian Géza Szilvay. Brava was taught according to the Colour Strings Method, invented by Szilvay, and as a child prodigy on the violin Brava appeared on Finnish TV presenting the method.

Musical career

Classical music

At the age of eight, Brava beacame a member and soloist – later also a concertmaster – of the Helsinki Juniorstrings. The orchestra toured all over the world visiting the U.S., Canada and Japan – among many other countries. Brava debuted as a soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra as an eleven-year-old.

Brava studied at the Sibelius Academy with Nachum Erlich and in Bloomington under Maurizio Fuks, successor to Josef Gingold.

Brava then embarked on a solid career as an orchestral violinist playing with some of the best orchestras in Finland: the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Helsinki Philharmonic and finally the Finnish National Opera's Orchestra. Brava was also a leader of the Jorma Panula Orchestra (Sibelius Academy's conductor class orchestra) and the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra. At the same time, Brava also gave solo concerts and, for example, opened Sibeliuspäivät (The Sibelius Days) in Finland in 1995. Brava also did some broadcast performances for the Finnish Broadcasting Company during her years at the Academy.

In 1996, Brava decided to start a career as a full-time soloist, quit her job at the Opera, and has ever since played chamber music and made solo orchestral appearances worldwide. She has played with many respected pianists such as Laura Mikkola and John Lenehan, and with many Finnish city orchestras, the Stockholm Sinfonietta, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and when performing for the Prince of Monaco Brava was accompanied by Milan's La Scala Orchestra. Brava's acclaimed debut classical album was released worldwide in 1999 by EMI Classics, and following that Brava toured the Far East. Brava has also done some head-of-state and royal concert appearances playing classical music, for example, for President Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the King of Sweden and the president of Kazakhstan.

Brava is a member of Grace, a musical ensemble, which was founded by four female musicians in 2005. Sofia Källgren (song), Monica Ramos (harp), Linda Brava (violin) and Carina E. Nilsson (keyboard, piano) perform crossover and classical music.

Brava's instrument is a 1781 Galliano violin.

Pop and rock music

Brava had played classical music for 21 years before she was asked to play something similar to Vanessa-Mae's Toccata and Fugue, and so she did. In 1997, Brava released the self-titled pop album Linda Lampenius, and played tunes from the album while modelling for Björn Borg on the catwalks

In 1997, Brava was invited by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber to play a solo violin part in his new musical Metal Philharmonic at the Sydmonton Festival. Brava also gave a concert of her own at the festival, and The Times dedicated its cultural enclosure to her.

Brava's song "Aquamarine" was featured in an episode of the TV-series Baywatch, and "Violator" appears in an episode of Fame L.A.. Both these songs also had music videos made for them.

Brava moved to Stockholm in 2002, to spend a year performing in the Fantastix show, where she had a lead role. In 2003, Brava was also seen on the Rhapsody in Rock show, performing in Sweden, Finland and in London's Royal Albert Hall, where Brava had already performed during a special tennis tournament between McEnroe and Borg in 1997. The tournament and Brava's pop appearance were seen on BBC. Brava has also played her pop material in Monaco's Sporting Club, Helsinki's Hartwall Arena and Stokholm's Globen, to name a few.

In January 2007, Brava was featured on Magnus Bäcklund's new single called Burn. The single was written by Jeff Franzel, a jazz pianist, who has played with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. as well as worked as a musical director on Il Divo's tour in USA. Bäcklund, Brava and Franzel performed the single for the first time at BingoLotto in the end of January 2007.

Folk music

Brava started to play folk music with Swedish folk musicians – above all with Kalle Moraeus – in 2003. In 2004, she made two concert tours across Sweden, and the 2005 album Nordic Light presents songs from the Nordic folk tradition.

Celtic music

In 2007, Brava will work a lot with Irish Anuna. The celtic choir and Brava filmed a music special for PBS in January, and the programme will be aired in August. Between July and December, Brava will participate Anuna on its media and concert tour around the U.S. Brava might also be featured on Anuna's new CD and DVD releases, which will be released in the end of the year.

Discography

• Linda Lampenius - Audiovox Records - 1997
• Linda Brava - EMI Classics - 1999
• Nordic Light - Ladybird - 2005
• Classic FM [2003] DVD - BMG Music Programming - 2003

Other careers

Acting

Brava has been a guest actress for one episode each of American television series Fame L.A. and Baywatch. Brava has also done some acting parts in the North.

Modelling

Brava was the model and face for Björn Borg's range of underwear and bathing suits from 1996 to 1999. She was seen in printed ads and on the catwalks playing music from her first CD. Brava has also been a model for Lacroix watches in England performing in their PR events and being seen in their print ads.

Because of her status as a blonde violin sensation in Europe, Brava was offered a contract to become the celebrity-covergirl of the men's magazine Playboy. Brava agreed, and was featured in and on the cover of Playboy's Sex & Music issue of 1998. She was also one of Playboy's Sex Stars of 1998.

Brava has also modelled for GQ, Maxim and Hello! magazines.

Linda cider

Brava lent her name and image to a brand of Finnish cider, which sold millions of litres between 1997 and 2000.

Politics

Brava represented the Swedish People's Party and was elected to the Helsinki City Council in 1996 for a four-year term. Some years later she was chosen to be Finland's Tourist Envoy in Sweden.

Rally Racing

Brava has also been keen on rallying, and has worked as a co-driver in Finland.

External links

• Linda Brava at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Site for Linda Brava
• Booking Agency
• Linda Brava Performing Video from Grace's concert held at Naturhistoriska Muséet in Sweden in December of 2005
• Live Performance for Burn Linda Brava & Magnus Bäcklund performing their new single, Burn, at BingoLotto on 28th of January 2007