The resident organisations at Musiikkitalo are: the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the University of the Arts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy.
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (founded 1882), has been operating without a break for 140 years. It has grown from a band of 36 players to an orchestra of 102 regular members giving concerts attended by a total audience of a good 100,000 a year at the Helsinki Music Centre and abroad.
Between 1892 and 1923 the HPO gave the first performances of almost all the symphonic works by Jean Sibelius with the composer himself conducting. The HPO’s founder and first Chief Conductor Robert Kajanus was succeeded by e.g. Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam, John Storgårds and Susanna Mälkki.
The orchestra has a three-member Artistic Leadership Team, which comprises Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Co-director Pekka Kuusisto and Composer-in-Residence Samy Moussa.
Several HPO recordings have received awards in Finland and abroad, including Grammy nominations.
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra website
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (FRSO) is the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle), and its mission is to produce and promote Finnish musical culture. Its Chief Conductor is Nicholas Collon.
The Radio Orchestra of ten players founded in 1927 grew to symphony orchestra proportions in the 1960s. Its Chief Conductors have been Toivo Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Sakari Oramo and Hannu Lintu.
In addition to the great Classical-Romantic masterpieces, the latest contemporary music is a major item in the repertoire of the FRSO, which each year premieres a number of Yle commissions. Another of the orchestra’s tasks is to record all Finnish orchestral music for the Yle archive.
The FRSO has recorded works by Mahler, Bartók, Sibelius, Hakola, Lindberg, Saariaho, Sallinen, Kaipainen, Kokkonen and others. It has three times won a Gramophone Award: for its disc of Lindberg’s Clarinet Concerto in 2006, of Bartók Violin Concertos in 2018 and of its album of orchestral works by Lotta Wennäkoski in 2023. In 2023, the orchestra was nominated for Gramophone’s “Orchestra of the Year award.” Other distinctions have included BBC Music Magazine, Académie Charles Cros, MIDEM Classical awards and Grammy nominations in 2020 and 2021. Its disc of tone poems and songs by Sibelius won an International Classical Music Award (ICMA) in 2018, and it has been the recipient of a Finnish EMMA award in 2016 and 2019.
FRSO concerts are broadcast live on the Yle Areena and Radio 1 channels, and later on the same evening on the Yle Teema TV channel. Recordings of the concerts are also shown on Yle TV 1.
Sibelius Academy, Uniarts Helsinki
Sibelius Academy’s live concerts are an unforgettable musical delight and an opportunity for audiences to discover the rising musical stars of the future. It is one of the largest conservatoires in Europe and consistently ranks among the top performing arts schools internationally.
Performing is a key part of the learning experience at Sibelius Academy. Students perform more than 700 concerts each year, the majority of which take place at Musiikkitalo. The concerts serve as a showcase for established international artists as well as up-and-coming talent.
Every year, the Sibelius Academy concert season features a wide range of genres from electronic to classical music. Some concerts are free to attend and ticketed concerts are reasonably priced, offering accessible and affordable musical experiences for all.
Sibelius Academy concert programme
About Musiikkitalo
Musiikkitalo concert organ
January 2024 saw the unveiling of Musiikkitalo’s long-awaited new concert organ. The 124-stop organ has the distinction of being the largest modern concert hall organ in the world. It is also one of only two instruments of this kind that can also be considered works of art in their own right. The creation of the new organ was made possible through a significant donation from the composer Kaija Saariaho.
Our history
Musiikkitalo is the result of a joint endeavour by the Sibelius Academy, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. First opened to the public in August 2011, the building enjoys a prime location in central Helsinki, opposite Eduskunta, the Finnish Parliament.
Our architecture
At Musiikkitalo, our walls speak softly to lend focus to what really matters here; the music. The architects have created a venue that is designed to encourage openness and the exchanging of ideas.
Visual art at Musiikkitalo
Alongside music and architecture, you will also be able to enjoy visual art as part of your visit. Reijo Hukkanen’s Song Trees and Kirsi Kaulanen’s Gaia are both bespoke commission for Musiikkitalo.