About me

• I got my Bachelor’s degree in Art Studies in 2023 and I’m currently a final-year student specializing in Musicology (or Music research) at the University of Helsinki.
• I’m a part-time jazz singer, and my repertoire consists of jazz standards, popular songs and evergreen hits especially from the 1930's to the 60's.
• I’ve been learning French since kindergarten, and I’ve always loved languages in general. So far, I can converse with ease in Finnish, English and French, but I also understand Swedish, Italian and Spanish quite well.
• My father is an art framer and painter with over 30 years of experience, and he has his own boutique and workshop in central Helsinki. My mother is a professional violinist currently working as the Concert Master in Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Vantaa Orchestra (which performs popular music repertoire). In other words, my parents are way cooler than I am and I constantly admire their expertise in their respective fields.😅

• Maria Callas
• Audrey Hepburn
• Carolina Herrera
• Barbra Streisand
• Caterina Valente
• Anne-Sophie Mutter
• Inès de la Fressange
• (from the men's side, I'd say Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Gianni Agnelli for example!😄)

Do you admire these icons too? If so, I must say you have good taste!😉 If you want, hit me an email at [email protected] and tell me why you love them specifically.

• Nov 2016 – I started my public Instagram account as a hobby under the username @theurbanpalm.
• Jan 2023 – I created my personal website ellepalmu.com and started to develop a rough idea of my brand under the name of "Ellegance".
• Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 – I sent weekly newsletters that documented the process of writing my bachelor's thesis and what I learned about the concept of elegance.
• Jun 2024 – I refreshed my personal brand with a focus on the skills and habits that help us lead a more elegant life.
• Jul – Nov 2024 – I resumed my weekly publishing cadence of in-depth newsletters about my insights on style when living in Paris.
• Nov 2024 – Jan 2025 – I created this website on Kajabi and came up with a more concrete plan of growing my business and communicating my ideas on elegance.

• 27 May 2022 – My debut performance as a soloist with a quartet in the event "Omenapuuhanami" in the town of Sappee in Finland. I performed the song Voilà (2021) by Barbara Pravi, and When You Believe from the film The Prince of Egypt (1998) as a duet with Viola Uotila (violauotila.fi).
• Spring and Fall season of 2023 – I performed as a vocal soloist in the HOS big band with repertoire ranging from swing standards to disco classics.
• And then of course I love to go to jazz jam sessions!

• Shop assistant – I've been working at my father's art framing shop since my early teens. While selling paintings and home decoration items, I've learned important client service skills in such a special field.
• Substitute teacher – After my own graduation, I had a rare opportunity to gain experience in teaching for over two years at my old school (Lycée franco-finlandais d’Helsinki). I taught mostly Finnish and some other subjects that I had done well in to pupils from 8–18 years old.
• Production assistant – I got to test the waters in the world of marketing and advertising for a couple of months at the hybrid agency Nitro in 2018.
• Production assistant – For two summers (2022, 2023), I learned a lot about the production of the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra's Summer Sounds festival that takes place in Porvoo, Finland. My tasks ranged from very practical and logistical tasks to more creative and challenging ones. Aside from the pre- and post-production phase, I enjoyed the festival's atmosphere and taking care of the musicians as well as the international guest conductors, soloists and composers.
• Freelance writer – I have the privilege of writing different conductors' and soloists' presentations for the concert program leaflets at Lahti Symphony Orchestra. My texts have been used in the programs of the Spring and Fall seasons of 2023, the Fall season in 2024, and I continue in this function during this Spring season of 2025.
• Other roles – I've also worked as an assistant to the food stylist Alex Nurmi (alexnurmi.fi) and as a receptionist in the ready-to-wear offices of Balenciaga on Avenue George V in Paris.

• Helsingin yliopiston musiikkitieteen ainejärjestölehti Synkooppi Op. 151: Coucou ! Ça va ?
• Suomen etnomusikologisen seuran tieteellinen mielipidelehti Musiikin suunta, 1/2023, 45.vuosikerta. Laila Kinnusen tie jazztaituriksi – aloittelevan jazzlaulajan reflektioita Kinnusen jalanjäljillä
• Helsingin yliopiston musiikkitieteen ainejärjestölehti Synkooppi Op. 146. 2/2022. Artikkelini: Pari sanaa kauniista laulamisesta
• Helsingin yliopiston musiikkitieteen ainejärjestölehti Synkooppi Op. 145: Musiikki ja mieli. 1/2022. Artikkelini: Kuuntelen, siis kuvittelen