Sibelius Academy Explained

Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki
Native Name:	Finnish: Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia Swedish: Konstuniversitetets Sibelius-Akademi
Established:	1882
Type:	Public
Dean:	Emilie Gardberg
Faculty:	126 full-time academic staff; 48 part-time academic staff; 434 hourly paid teachers
Students:	1,400^[1]
Undergrad:	500
Postgrad:	640
Doctoral:	140
Other:	100 students at the Sibelius Junior Academy
City:	Helsinki
Country:	Finland
Campus:	In the heart of Helsinki
Nickname:	SibA
Parent:	University of the Arts Helsinki

The Sibelius Academy (Finnish: Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia, Swedish: Sibelius-Akademin vid Konstuniversitetet) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland.^[2] It is among the biggest European music universities^[3] with roughly 1,400 enrolled students.

The Sibelius Academy is the organizer of the International Maj Lind Piano Competition and one of the organizers of the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition held every five years in Helsinki.^[4]

History

The academy was founded in 1882 by Martin Wegelius as Swedish: Helsingfors musikinstitut ("Helsinki Music Institute") and renamed Finnish: Sibelius-Akatemia in 1939 to honour its own former student and Finland's most celebrated composer Jean Sibelius. In 2013, the academy merged with two formerly independent universities, Helsinki Theatre Academy and Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, to form the University of the Arts Helsinki.^[5]

Between 2015 and 2017 the Parliament of Finland met at the Academy while its building was undergoing renovation.

Degrees

The primary degree at the Sibelius Academy is the Master of Music (MMus) degree. The school also offers postgraduate degrees with artistic and research options. The postgraduate degrees are the Licentiate of Arts in Music Lic.A. (Mus.) and the doctoral degree of Doctor of Arts in Music D.A. (Mus.)

Degree programmes

The Academy offers the following degree programmes:^[6]

• Degree Programme in Church Music
• Degree Programme in Composition and Music Theory
• Degree Programme in Folk Music
• Degree Programme in Jazz Music
• Degree Programme in Orchestral and Choral Conducting
• Degree Programme in Music Education
• Degree Programme in Music Technology
• Degree Programme in Music Performance
• Degree Programme in Vocal Music
• Degree Programme in Arts Management

Notable students and faculty (past and present)

Composers

• Greta Dahlström, music teacher and composer
• Kalevi Aho
• Erik Bergman
• Paavo Heininen, former professor of composition
• Tuomas Kantelinen
• Pekka Kostiainen, composer and choral conductor
• Magnus Lindberg^[7]
• Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
• Erkki Melartin, student/composer/professor/Director Helsinki Conservatory
• Veli-Matti Puumala, professor of composition
• Einojuhani Rautavaara
• Kaija Saariaho
• Aulis Sallinen^[8]
• Jean Sibelius^[9]

Conductors

• Leo Funtek (1885–1965), violinist, conductor, arranger and music professor
• Paavo Berglund, conductor
• Pietari Inkinen, violinist, and conductor
• Sasha Mäkilä, assistant conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra
• Eva Ollikainen, conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra
• Sakari Oramo, conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
• Jorma Panula, conductor, composer and teacher
• Atso Almila, conductor, composer and teacher
• Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra, former conductor of the LA Philharmonic, composer
• Jukka-Pekka Saraste, former conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra^[10]
• David Searle, orchestral conductor of The Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra^[11]
• Leif Segerstam, conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
• Ulf Söderblom, Principal Conductor of the Finnish National Opera (1973–1993), taught at the Sibelius Academy and conducted its orchestras from 1965 to 1968^[12]
• Heidi Sundblad-Halme, founder and conductor of the Helsinki Women’s Orchestra; composer
• Okko Kamu, conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
• Osmo Vänskä, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra
• Mikko Franck, conductor of the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France
• Susanna Mälkki, conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
• Hannu Lintu, conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Klaus Mäkelä, conductor of the Orchestre de Paris
• Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia
• Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Orchestra
• Dalia Stasevska, conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
• Tarmo Peltokoski, conductor of the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse and Latvian National Symphony Orchestra

Instrumentalists

• Astrid Riska, organist
• Juhani Aaltonen, Finnish jazz saxophonist and flautist
• Linda Brava, violinist
• France Ellegaard (1913–1999), pianist and faculty member
• Gerard Le Feuvre, cellist and founder of the Kings Chamber Orchestra
• Simon Ghraichy (1985), pianist
• Tuija Hakkila (1959), pianist
• Anja Ignatius (1911–1995), violinist and professor
• Kalevi Kiviniemi (1958–2024), organist
• Kari Kriikku, clarinetist
• Matias Kupiainen, lead guitarist of the band Stratovarius
• Pekka Kuusisto, violinist
• Risto Lauriala, pianist
• Max Lilja, cellist in the band Hevein and founding member of Apocalyptica
• Hui-Ying Liu-Tawaststjerna, pianist
• Paavo Lötjönen, cellist in the band Apocalyptica
• Antero Manninen, former cellist in the band Apocalyptica and cellist in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
• Olli Mustonen, pianist and composer
• Arto Noras, cellist, student of Paul Tortelier
• Mikko Paananen, known as Mige, bassist of the band HIM
• Martti Pokela, founder of the folk music department and former professor of the kantele^[13]
• Aku Raski aka Huoratron, electro house and chiptune musician
• Martti Rousi, cello teacher
• Kaija Saarikettu, Professor of solo strings and chamber music
• Antti Siirala, winner of the Dublin, Leeds, and Beethoven international piano competitions
• Agnes Tschetschulin, violinist, composer, one of the first four graduates
• Eicca Toppinen, cellist in the band Apocalyptica
• Perttu Kivilaakso, cellist in the band Apocalyptica, former Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

Vocalists

• Anneli Aarika-Szrok, contralto
• Kim Borg, bass
• Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano
• Tommi Hakala, baritone, winner of the 2003 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition
• Jorma Hynninen, baritone
• Soile Isokoski, soprano
• Pille Lill, soprano
• Topi Lehtipuu, tenor
• Peter Lindroos, tenor (was both a student and teacher at the academy)^[14]
• Karita Mattila, soprano,^[15] winner of the 1983 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition
• Jyrki Niskanen, tenor
• Arja Saijonmaa, singer
• Petteri Salomaa, bass-baritone
• Tuuli Takala, soprano
• Tarja Turunen, soprano, former singer of the symphonic metal band Nightwish
• Soila Sariola, singer of the double platinum awarded and multiple gold winning vocal ensemble Rajaton^[16]
• Matti Salminen, bass^[15]
• Paula Vesala, singer of PMMP^[17]
• Martti Wallén, opera singer^[18]

Junior Academy

Junior Academy^[19] is for highly skilled young musicians to study with top level professionals before entering a university.

External links

• Sibelius Academy
• Sibelius Academy official Facebook page
• Effects of the Bologna Declaration on Professional Music Training in Europe
• European Association of Conservatoires (AEC)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sibelius Academy – Welcome . Sibelius Academy . 2010-07-31 . 20 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101120215612/http://www.siba.fi/en/studies/how_to_apply/ . live.
2. Web site: Higher education in the Helsinki region . https://web.archive.org/web/20100703022851/http://www.hel.fi/hki/helsinki/en/Services/Education/Higher+education+in+the+Helsinki+region . dead . 2010-07-03 . 2010-01-29 . City of Helsinki . 2010-07-31.
3. Web site: Goff . Jared . The 20 Most Prestigious Music Degree Programs in the World . Online Schools Center . 21 December 2015 . 9 July 2024.
4. Web site: 10th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition Nov. 21 – Dec. 2, 2010 . 3 December 2010 . Sibelius Academy . 27 September 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927151712/http://www2.siba.fi/sibeliuscompetition/ . dead.
5. Web site: Finnish Academy of Fine Arts + Sibelius Academy + Theatre Academy Helsinki=University of the Arts Helsinki . University of the Arts Helsinki . 26 February 2013 . 16 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130716045949/http://www.uniarts.fi/en/about-us/ . live.
6. Web site: Sibelius Academy – Degree Programmes . Sibelius Academy . 2010-07-31 . 23 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100723031844/http://www.siba.fi/en/studies/programmes/ . live.
7. Web site: Embracing the Orchestra as Alive . Smith . Steve . 25 September 2009 . . 31 July 2010 . 7 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171107115312/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/arts/music/27smith.html . live.
8. Web site: Aulis Sallinen: "Hyvä taide on aina selkeätä" . Koppinen . Mari . 2004 . fi . Finnish Music Information Centre FIMIC . 31 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091020071318/http://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/0/673908296CC8F1B0C2257537003F706F?opendocument . 20 October 2009.
9. Web site: Sibelius Academy – History . Sibelius Academy . 31 July 2010 . 24 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100724062343/http://www.siba.fi/en/info/history/ . live.
10. Web site: Department of Orchestral Instruments – Studies . Sibelius Academy . 31 July 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100228174739/http://orso.siba.fi/en/studies/ . 28 February 2010.
11. Web site: David Searle Director of Orchestral Activities and Conducting Studies – School of Music . . 31 July 2010 . 5 September 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100905151239/http://music.cua.edu/faculty/searle.cfm . live.
12. Dahlström, Fabian (2011). "Söderblom, Ulf" . Biografiskt lexikon för Finland. Online version retrieved 17 February 2015 .
13. News: Finland's Kantele Master Martti Pokela Dies . . 2007-08-23 . 2007-09-18 . 16 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210316071511/https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finlands_kantele_master_martti_pokela_dies/5800684 . live.
14. Lampila, Hannu-Ilari (November 2003). "Peter Lindroos" (obituary). Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 18 February 2015 .
15. Web site: Sibelius Academy . The Friends of Sibelius Academy . 31 July 2010 . 27 August 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100827210925/http://fsa.siba.fi/en/sibelius_academy/ . live.
16. Web site: Lauluyhtye Rajaton – Soila Sariola . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081530/http://www.rajaton.net/en/group/singers/soila+sariola/ . dead . 16 July 2011 . Rajaton.net . 31 July 2010.
17. News: Paula – Biografia – PMMP . PMMP . 2010-07-31 . 8 August 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100808202520/http://www.pmmp.fi/biografia/paula . live.
18. Hillila, Ruth-Esther and Hong, Barbara Blanchard (1997). Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland, p. 442. Greenwood Publishing Group.
19. Web site: Sibelius Academy's Junior Academy . University of the Arts Helsinki – Uniarts.fi . en . 2019-09-01 . 1 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190901233852/https://www.uniarts.fi/en/study-options/sibelius-academys-junior-academy . live.