The Instrument Academies include the String Academy, the Youth Piano Academy and the Brass Academy. Their common goal is to provide the highest quality music education to talented and motivated children and young people.
The Instrument Academies are a registered association made up of the String Academy, the Youth Piano Academy and the Brass Academy. They were founded as separate entities, but in 2023 a joint umbrella organisation, the Instrument Academies Association, was formed.
Their common goal of the Instrument Academies is to provide a first-class musical education for talented and motivated young musicians. The students are aged between 8 and 20 and come from all over Finland.
The academies support their students' goal-oriented musical learning through tuition and master classes led by top teachers, usually at weekends and during holidays. At the same time, students continue their weekly instrument studies with their regular teacher at their home school. The cornerstone of all the academies' activities is group work, with students learning not only from their teachers but also from each other.
There are also differences between the pedagogical approaches and objectives of the three academies, as the different instruments have different needs and pedagogical traditions. We therefore support the academies in maintaining their pedagogical autonomy while seeking common approaches in practical matters.
The umbrella association allows us to improve the financial and organisational practices of the academies and to increase the visibility of the Instrument Academies among key stakeholders. The umbrella association also facilitates synergies in terms of teaching, such as sharing best practice and organising joint chamber music training between the academies.
The Instrument Academies have achieved outstanding results in raising the national standard of instrument education. Through our successful students and alumni, the impact of our activities radiates to international concert and competition arenas.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation support the Instrument Academies Association from 2024 to 2027.