It takes 48 seconds, including closing and opening the doors, to travel in the South elevator from the porter's lodge on the first floor to the top - if nobody wants to get in or out in between. If instruments are loaded on the way, it will be a long wait anyway. So if you're running late, it's better to take the stairs. Sometimes, however, its decelerating effect in the hustle and bustle between the dressing rooms, casino and stage is just right for a mini-break. Or a few quick questions in between. Today we're going up with Maria Krykov, principal double bass in the Konzerthausorchester Berlin since 2022.

The door closes in slow motion.

No, actually not at all (laughs). Without a double bass, I'd rather take the stairs!

I like the fact that there's a lot going on here. Before a concert or other important moments, I like to talk to people. It distracts me and calms me down.

Here, I have a lot of very good colleagues and friends as well, but in Helsinki I could, of course, speak Finnish with almost all musicians. That made me feel more like I was part of a family than at a workplace. And every orchestra sounds different, has a different repertoire. In Helsinki, for example, we played a lot of modern pieces.

Last summer, I played Nino Rota's double bass concerto with the Konzerthausorchester within a week for my graduation and found out that I had passed the rehearsal period! That was a super moment.

On the way down, we found out two more things: Maria's favorite composers for double bass orchestra parts are Mahler, Shostakovich and Richard Strauss. And elevator means "hissi" in Finnish!