Päivikki Wirkkala-Malmqvist
Päivikki Wirkkala-Malmqvist is a Finnish violinist and violin teacher who lives in Sweden since 1987. She graduated from Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland 1986 as a soloist and a violin pedagogue. She has studied violin with professor Kaija Saarikettu (Fi) and professor John Kendall (USA). PWM is also a certificated Suzuki Teache Trainerr , educated in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and USA receiving all the five European Suzuki teaching levels.
PWM has been a member in Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra (Fi) and Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (S). She started to work as a violin pedagogue 1989 in Norrköping Culture School and De Geer Upper SecondaryMusic School (Sw:Gymnasium).
Since 2007 PWM is a Senior Lecturer in String Methodology at KMH (Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden). Since 2019 PWM is a Senior Lecturer in String Methodology also at SMI(Stockholms Musikpedagogiska Institutet). PWM teaches her students both in groups and individually.
Her violin ensembles Coll’Arco (1990-1999) and Con Amore (1999-) have been touring in Scandinavia, France, Germany, Polen, Faroe Islands, Spain ,USA , South Africa ,Finland, Latvia and China and they also have recorded CD:s. Many of the students of PWM have won prizes at various competitions and become professional musicians but the main goal in her teaching is making music to communication – between the musicians and between the musicians and the listening people.
As a Senior Lecturer in String Methodology PWM has visited Finland, USA, Germany, Faroe Islands, Norway, Latvia, Spain, China, Southafrica, Denmark, Russia and Venezuela giving workshops and seminars. Päivikki Wirkkala-Malmqvist is co-operating with Eva Nivbrant-Wedin (Senior Lecturer in Dalcroze Eurhytmics at KMH). They are combining the ideas from Dalcroze with the instrumental teaching for all levels. PWM has been honoured with St Olofs medal in 1999 by the city of Norrköping for her pedagogical qualifications.
2011-2018 was PWM the President of ESTA –Sweden (Swedish String Teachers Association). Since 2018 is Päivikki the President of the Swedish Suzuki Association.Päivikki is a manager and a Board member in Welin Foundation