Sibelius Academy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sibelius Academy (Finnish Sibelius-Akatemia; Swedish Sibelius-Akademin) is a university level music school in Helsinki, Finland. The conservatory is named after Finland's most celebrated composer Jean Sibelius. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European conservatories with roughly 1700 enrolled students.
Contents |
[edit] 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.)]
[edit] Junior Academy
Junior Academy is nation-wide and open to gifted school children. Virtually every Finnish internationally recognized musician has spent adolescent years at the Junior Academy. It is not an actual study programme as each student follows his/her own curriculum. Classes are usually held on Saturdays. About half of the 130 students, who are school children, travel from outside the Greater Helsinki area for weekend music lessons at the Academy. Professors teach many of them in the same way as students of the programme for solo performance, i.e. two hours per week in their main instrument. Studies in composition, jazz and folk music are possible and supplementary subjects, orchestral playing, chamber music and music theory are also studied at the Junior Academy.
[edit] Status of the Academy in Finland
The role of the Academy in the Finnish musical field has been controversial. It is unique that one single institution has such a predominant role in a country. No real rivalry exists since the Academy is the only state-funded music university in Finland. It is therefore self-evident that virtually all of the most talented music students choose to apply for the Academy. The lack of healthy competition between two or more music schools in the country is not usually regarded as a positive thing. However, the student body of the Academy is extremely competitive, and in terms of international competition winners, the Academy qualifies as being among the top music schools in the world, along with Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, the Royal Academy of Music in London, Moscow Conservatory, Juilliard School in New York, and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.
There is no tuition at the Academy, and the students have access to rehearsal rooms equipped with grand pianos for 24 hours a day. All instrumental students are also encouraged to attend chamber music weekends in Kallio-Kuninkala for free. It is an old manor located 30 kilometres north of Helsinki in beautiful surroundings. The Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra is the major orchestra frequently conducted by the most distinguished Finnish and international conductors. All string and wind instrument players are required to attend the orchestra every semester. The Helmi Vesa competition for pianists is arranged bi-annually, and the International Maj Lind Competition for pianists is arranged by the Academy as well.
[edit] Notable teachers and students
- Linda Brava, violinist
- Soile Isokoski, soprano
- Magnus Lindberg, composer
- Karita Mattila, soprano
- Olli Mustonen, pianist
- Arto Noras, one of the greatest contemporary cellists, student of Paul Tortelier
- Sakari Oramo, the conductor of The Finnish Radio Symphony
- Jorma Panula, conductor, composer and teacher
- Esa-Pekka Salonen, the conductor of the LA Philharmonic
- Jukka-Pekka Saraste, former conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
- Osmo Vänskä, the conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra
- Kaija Saariaho, composer
- Matti Salminen, bass
- Leif Segerstam, the conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic
- Antti Siirala, the winner of the Dublin, Leeds, and Beethoven international piano competitions
- Tarja Turunen, the former singer of the symphonic metal band Nightwish
- Elina Mustonen, harpsichordist
- Apocalyptica, metal band
- Arja Saijonmaa, Singer
