- Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy (Finnish Sibelius-Akatemia; Swedish Sibelius-Akademin) is a university level
music school which operates inHelsinki andKuopio ,Finland (also adult education centre inJärvenpää and training centre inSeinäjoki ). The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities with roughly 1700 enrolled students. It was founded in1882 as "Helsingfors musikinstitut" ("Helsinki Music Institute") and was renamed "Sibelius-Akatemia" in1939 to honour its own former student and Finland's most celebrated composerJean Sibelius .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 MusicLic.A. (Mus.) and the doctoral degree of Doctor of Arts in MusicD.A. (Mus.) Degree programmes
*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 MusicJunior 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.
tatus 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 , theRoyal Academy of Music in London,Moscow Conservatory ,Juilliard School in New York,Universität Mozarteum inSalzburg , and theCurtis Institute inPhiladelphia .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.Notable students and faculty (past and present)
*
Lauri Ylönen , singer ofThe Rasmus
*Linda Brava , violinist
*Soile Isokoski , soprano
*Sari Kaasinen , folk musician
*Perttu Kivilaakso , cellist in the bandApocalyptica
*Pekka Kuusisto , violinist
*Magnus Lindberg , composer
*Paavo Lötjönen , cellist in the bandApocalyptica
*Karita Mattila , soprano
*Elina Mustonen , harpsichordist
*Olli Mustonen , pianist
*Arto Noras , student ofPaul Tortelier
*Sakari Oramo , the conductor of The Finnish Radio Symphony
*Jorma Panula , conductor, composer and teacher
*Martti Pokela , founder of thefolk music department and former professor of thekantele cite news |first=|last=|title= Finland's Kantele Master Martti Pokela Dies |http://www.yle.fi/news/id68083.html|work=YLE |publisher= |date=2007-08-23 |accessdate=2007-09-18]
*Einojuhani Rautavaara , composer
*Martti Rousi , cello teacher
*Kaija Saariaho , composer
*Arja Saijonmaa , singer
*Aulis Sallinen , composer
*Matti Salminen , bass
*Esa-Pekka Salonen , the conductor of the LA Philharmonic
*Jukka-Pekka Saraste , former conductor of theToronto Symphony Orchestra
*Leif Segerstam , the conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic
*Jean Sibelius , composer
*Antti Siirala , the winner of the Dublin, Leeds, and Beethoven international piano competitions
*Eicca Toppinen , cellist in the bandApocalyptica
*Tarja Turunen , the former singer of thesymphonic metal bandNightwish
*Paula Vesala , singer ofPMMP
*Osmo Vänskä , the conductor of theMinnesota Orchestra
*Club for Five , a Finnish award winning gold status vocal band whose members studied at the academy
*Soila Sariola , singer of the double platinum awarded and multiple gold winning vocal ensembleRajaton
*Emerson Burton , the keyboarder of the Finnishmetal band HIM.External links
* [http://www.siba.fi/eng/ Sibelius Academy]
* [http://aec.cramgo.nl/ Effects of the Bologna Declaration on Professional Music Training in Europe]
* [http://www.aecinfo.org/ European Association of Conservatoires (AEC)]References
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