was started in the late 1990s by a number of musicians who had attended confessional school in Aholansaari, in the context of the youth work of the Herald Association. The orchestra, which has now expanded into a fully national community, began its regular activities in its current form in 1997, and since the autumn of 1999 Jyri Nissilä has been the orchestra's permanent conductor.
The Aholansaari Sinfonietta, which consists of around 30-45 musicians, is mainly made up of young music professionals and professional students. The Aholansaari Sinfonietta operates periodically and, within the limits of its financial possibilities, aims to play 2-5 concerts per year in different parts of the country.
The Aholansaari Sinfonietta is one of the absolute best of Finland's younger orchestral scene, and it stands out for its size: it is not a full symphony orchestra but rather a large chamber orchestra. This is reflected in the orchestra's fresh programming, which seeks to present high-quality but, for various reasons, less frequently performed orchestral literature. Naturally, classical orchestral repertoire also has a strong place in the orchestra's repertoire. The Aholansaari Sinfonietta has given world and Finnish premieres of works by Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, Gija Kantsheli, John Adams and Federico Moreno Torroba.
Aholansaari Sinfonietta has given more than 60 concerts in various locations throughout Finland, from Helsinki to Enontekio. The orchestra has performed at events such as the Heta Music Days, the Viapori Jazz Festival at the Helsinki Festival and the Urkuyö and Aaria Festival in Espoo. The orchestra has also recorded for Pilfink Records. The orchestra's music policy is to give concerts primarily in places where there are no regular orchestral concerts. In addition, the orchestra has a strong educational function, mainly through the use of professional musicians as section leaders, and provides valuable experience of playing in professional ensembles for students from smaller music schools.
The soloists of the Aholansaari Sinfonietta have included some of Finland's top musicians, including. soprano Johanna Rusanen-Kartano, baritones Jorma Hynninen, Jaakko Kortekangas, Ville Rusanen and Esa Ruuttunen, guitarists Timo Korhonen and Ismo Eskelinen, violinist Antti Tikkanen, saxophonist Jukka Perko, clarinetist Harri Mäki and the orchestra's own conductor-clarinetist Jyri Nissilä. The orchestra has received high praise for its musical competence, its energetic playing and its interesting programming.
Contact
Intendant:
Marjukka Manner