Falling In Love With Finnish Design
Finnish design isn’t just something you see — it’s something you experience. It begins the moment you step off the plane at Helsinki’s Vantaa airport, follows you everywhere and stays with you long after you’ve gone.
Celebrating 100 years of innovative Finnish design
Given how familiar Finnish markers and motifs have become — from Nokia phones to Moomins books — it’s remarkable that Finland has only had 100 years to imprint itself on our consciousness. Throughout that time, design has always been at the forefront of the nation’s identity.
Finnish Art Society
The Society organises solo shows and thematic exhibitions of Finnish art, accompanied by ancillary events and research-oriented art publications … One of the Society’s key areas of activity is purchasing artworks for its annual art lottery, in which about a hundred works of contemporary Finnish art, primarily by young artists, are raffled among the Society’s members.
Finland’s 10 Best Contemporary Artists and Where to Find Them
Though perhaps more well-known for its saunas, beautiful lakes and history of producing famous designers, Finland has a thriving contemporary art scene that can’t be ignored. From Johanna Havimäki’s recycled leather sculptures to the beautiful, award-winning black and white photography of Jari Silomäki, here are ten of the best contemporary Finnish artists and the galleries where their work can be viewed, from Helsinki to Turku.
What is “Finnish” in Finnish music?
People are always asking: “What is Finnish in Finnish music?” The word “Finnish” appears twice in the question. In other words it has at least two different meanings.
Music Finland
Our clientele comprises the entire Finnish music industry, spanning across all genres and sectors. We help our clients to establish connections, present their music and grow their audiences and businesses in the international market. We also facilitate information about Finnish music and the industry.
The Sounds of Finnish Musical Experiments
Less than a century ago, composer Jean Sibelius was writing music that reflected Finland as it gained its independence from Russia. Since then, the country has grown to be a progressive, cutting-edge technological society. Beyond Sibelius, though, Finnish music still isn’t well known, but there’s a lot going on, with a restless, experimental attitude.
Suomi Finland 100 Chorus
The Suomi Finland 100 Chorus was created as a pop-up choir celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Finland in 2016 and continues beyond the centennial on demand. The SF 100 Chorus was honored to perform for the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, in 2017 as part of FinnFest USA. The chorus comprises choral singers interested in Finnish music, language and culture.
Finnish-American Musicians
in Minnesota
Finn Hall
An award-winning group of musicians dedicated to preserving the feel and sounds of historic Finnish-American dance halls of the last century.
Ameriikan Poijat
Ameriikan Poijat was founded to help create and promote Finnish and Finnish-American brass band music appreciation and performance activities in Minnesota, Upper Midwest communities, and beyond.
Diane Jarvi
A singer, songwriter, guitarist and kantele player (Finnish folk harp), Diane Jarvi studied kantele and Finnish folk music at the Sibelius Academy. And she has been the recipient of artistic grants and awards including a McKnight MacPhail performing fellowship and awarded Finlandia Foundation Performer of the Year.
Eric Peltoniemi
Eric Peltoniemi has long been an acclaimed songwriter, composer and musician. For over 4 decades he has worked several sides of the music industry: as a performing artist, songwriter, graphic designer, Grammy-winning producer and record label executive. Eric’s original songs have been recorded by artists like Bok, Trickett & Muir; Robin & Linda Williams; Sally Rogers & Claudia Schmidt; Lisa Asher; Trova; Prudence Johnson, and the Finnish roots band Koinurit, among others.
Sara Pajunen
Sara Pajunen composes, improvises, plays violin, and records environmental sound. Her work is a sonically honest search for the future and a continued exploration of the past. Pajunen has received classical music degrees in the United States and Finland, and funding from the Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Kone Foundation, American Scandinavian Foundation, and the Arts Council of Finland. Sara Pajunen was the 2015-16 Finlandia Foundation Performer of the Year.
Finnish National Theater
The Finnish National Theatre, founded in 1872, is the oldest Finnish-language professional theatre in the country. For the first thirty years of its existence, the theatre functioned primarily as a touring company. The theatre did not acquire a permanent home until 1902, when a purpose-built theatre was erected in the heart of Helsinki, adjacent to the city’s main railway station. The theatre still operates in these premises today, and over the years the building has expanded from its original size to encompass another three permanent stages.
Contemporary Finnish Theatre: Disruption and Expanding Fields
Through their art, Finnish theatre artists present alternative views on what kind of world we’d all like to live in. They present works critical of the idea of continual growth, new models of action, and methods of working, all of which are marked with an awareness of what it means to live in a world of scant resources, dwindling energy and decreasing material possessions. This is what is happening outside the traditional institutionalized (city) theatres.
Kisarit Finnish American Folk Dancers
Kisarit Finnish American Folk Dancers, located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota have promoted awareness and appreciation of the Finnish culture in America through Finnish folk dance and music.