Born in Finland, Ilmari Hopkins is principal cellist of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norway. He trained with Anatoly Nikitin at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia and obtained his postgraduate Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music of Stockholm with Torleif Thedéen. First prize recipient of the Lahti Chamber Music Competition, Hopkins has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Swedish Radio Symphony, the Lima Philharmonic, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Chamber Orchestra. He has performed on festivals and given recitals throughout Europe and the Americas, and in Japan and South Africa. His recordings include broadcastings for Swedish Radio, a CD with the SKASEI Trio for Italian Azzurra Music, and a solo CD released in 2009 by the Argentinian label Tradition.