Iiro Rajakoski (b. 1984, Helsinki) is a Finnish violist based in Germany. He has been described as a “strong young man with an impressive sound” and his concert as a “convincing performance by a mature musician”. Rajakoski has appeared in major venues as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra musician.
As a chamber musician, Rajakoski has appeared at festivals and concert series in Germany, Austria, China and Finland, in Musikalischer Sommer in Ostfriesland, Korsholma Music Festival, Sysmä Summer Festival and Kamarikesä Festival. He is a member of Jade Quartet based in Stuttgart.
Rajakoski has achieved success both in international and national competitions. He won the first prize in the Tampere Viola Competition 2017. In 2013, he won two special prizes in the international Lionel Tertis viola competition, including the award for the best Brahms performance. He was also a prize winner at the Tampere Viola Competition 2012.
Rajakoski studied at the Geneva Academy of Music with Nobuko Imai and Gabor Takacs. In 2012, he graduated from the Sibelius Academy as a Master of Music with Teemu Kupiainen and Ilari Angervo. Rajakoski has also studied violin, with teachers Jaakko Ilves and Anatoli Melnikov.
In 2013-2014, Rajakoski was a member of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. Since January 2015, Rajakoski has been a violist at the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. Rajakoski plays an excellent viola built by Robert Blaszauer.