asha ▁M ä kil ä , ▁born ▁in ▁Ker ava , ▁Finland , ▁first ▁studied ▁c ello ▁at ▁the ▁Hels ink i ▁Conserv atory ▁before ▁starting ▁his ▁conduct ing ▁studies ▁with ▁Leon id ▁Kor ch mar ▁at ▁the ▁R im sky - K ors akov ▁State ▁Conserv atory ▁of ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁Russia . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁while ▁still ▁a ▁student , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁conduct or ▁of ▁the ▁Sym phony ▁Orchestra ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁National ▁Library ▁in ▁St ▁Petersburg . ▁ ▁He ▁later ▁continued ▁his ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁Sib el ius ▁Academy ▁with ▁professor ▁Le if ▁Seg erst am ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁American ▁Academy ▁of ▁Con duct ing ▁at ▁Asp en ▁with ▁David ▁Z in man . ▁He ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁master ▁classes ▁with ▁notable ▁conduct ors ▁like ▁Y uri ▁Simon ov , ▁Kurt ▁Mas ur ▁and ▁J orm a ▁Pan ula . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁M ä kil ä ▁was ▁a ▁final ist ▁in ▁the ▁Su won ▁International ▁Con duct ors ▁Compet ition ▁in ▁South ▁Korea , ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁prize ▁winner ▁in ▁the ▁Six th ▁International ▁V ak ht ang ▁Jord ania ▁Con duct ing ▁Compet ition ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁M ä kil ä ▁served ▁as ▁assistant ▁conduct or ▁to ▁Kurt ▁Mas ur ▁at ▁Or ch estre ▁National ▁de ▁France . ▁From ▁ 2 0 1 0 - 2 0