The four-year support from the foundations will enable the String Academy, the Youth Piano Academy Finland and the Brass Academy to develop their activities in the longer term.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation will grant a total of €2.5 million over four years to the Instrument Academies. In previous years, the Finnish Cultural Foundation has supported the academies with a total of more than €1 million and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation with almost €1 million. The support now provided by the foundations will enable the academies to develop their activities in the longer term.
The Instrument Academies Association, founded in 2023, consists of three instrument academies: the String Academy, the Finnish Youth Piano Academy and the Brass Academy. Under the guidance of the best teachers in their field, they provide regular extra tuition for Finland's most talented young musicians.
Students at the academies range in age from 8 to 20 and come from all over Finland. Past students include conductor and pianist Tarmo Peltokoski, violinist Tami Pohjola and pianist Ossi Tanner. Current students include 13-year-old Lilja Haatainen, who has played as a soloist in many Finnish orchestras and won several competitions.
With the support of the foundations, the teaching and learning environment in the Instrument Academies can be further improved. By working more closely together, the academies will be able to share best practice more easily and build on their growing impact. The support will also enable the academies to recruit an executive director and a communications specialist. The long-term goal is to establish the Instrument Academies as providers of talent training and thus as an official part of Finnish music education.
More students, international guests and chamber music
The String Academy, the Youth Piano Academy Finland and the Brass Academy were established separately at different times. Each academy will continue to be responsible for the content and teaching methods of its own activities.
"The funding granted to the academies by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation is great news at a time when funding for music education is being cut. The funding will allow us to stabilise our activities, invite top international visitors and increase the number of orchestral and chamber music periods that the academies can organise together," says Janne Malmivaara, head teacher of the String Academy.
Niklas Pokki, head teacher of the Youth Piano Academy, agrees: "With the support of the foundations, we can accept more students at the Youth Piano Academy, increase the number of study days, develop our international activities and, for example, organise orchestra soloist periods, which require a lot of resources. The cooperation between the academies has also opened up new opportunities for the students of the Youth Piano Academy to immerse themselves in chamber music".
The Brass Academy differs from the String Academy and the Youth Piano Academy in that it also aims to inspire new students to take up brass instruments. The Brass Academy ran from 2012 to 2015, and was relaunched in 2023 with support from the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
"We are privileged to be able to contribute in such a unique way to the goal-oriented musical education of children and young people and to facilitate the first steps of future professionals. Past students of the Brass Academy have mostly gone on to become professional musicians, and we continue to strive for the same goal. The funding from the foundations will also enable us to operate on larger scale in several locations and thus inspire as many people as possible to join the happy group of musicians," says Harri Lidsle, head teacher of the Brass Academy.
All academies will select new students in autumn 2024. More information about the autumn auditions will be published later on the academies' websites and social media channels.
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation makes a significant contribution to the future of music education
The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation's support for music academies is part of the foundation’s wider effort to develop music education in Finland. In addition to the Instrument Academies Association, the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts and the Conservatory Association of Finland will also receive support.
The Sibelius Academy has received €1 million from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation for a project that aims to promote diversity in music and music education through international cooperation, as well as cultural equity in society at large.
The Conservatory Association of Finland has received €660,000 from the foundation for a joint project among Finnish music education stakeholders. Together, they aim to create models for sustainable education as outlined in the Vision 2030 for Finnish Music Education.
Further inquiries
Anni Pokki, chairman of the board
Instrument Academies Association
045 6360 560
pokki.anni@gmail.com
Susanna Pettersson, CEO
Finnish Cultural Foundation
susanna.pettersson@skr.fi
Hanna-Mari Peltomäki, Secretary General
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation
hanna.mari.peltomaki@jaes.fi
The Finnish Cultural Foundation is a private foundation that supports the arts and sciences by awarding grants, initiating and implementing projects, and promoting the role of the arts and sciences in society. The Foundation's activities include the Kirpilä Art Collection, a residency programme for artists and the Mirjam Helin Competition.
The primary purpose of the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation is to promote and support research in the fields of technology, economics and medicine. The Foundation also supports arts and culture, as well as sports and physical education to promote people’s well-being and the nation’s interests in this respect.
Photo: Riku Isohella