History

The Savonlinna Choir was founded in 1969 for the purposes of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. For several years now the Savonlinna Choir has been connected to the local open college Linnala. Wider appreciation among internationally famous choirs has been received at national pageants in Tampere with one golden and two silver labels. In 1995 composer Kyösti Haatanen dedicated his Christmas Oratory ”De nativitate Christi secundum Lucam” to the Savonlinna Choir. It has been performed on several occasions both in Finland and abroad with considerable success. Visiting directors have included some of the highest ranking Finnish choir leaders. In addition to the Orchestra of the Savonlinna Musical Society the choir has performed with several other Finnish orchestras as well as the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra and the Latvian Junior Symphony Orchestra. The Savonlinna Choir has also visited Germany, Sweden and Estonia.

2019

Savonlinna Choir celebrated its 50th anniversary and this culminated in a festive concert at Savonlinna Hall Sun 24.11.2019! All the choir’s activities this year were aimed at that concert.

At the beginning of the anniversary year, we recorded the songs of Jaakko Löyty with baritone Esa Ruuttunen and Cello Spirituals. Kaipaus record release concert at Savonlinna Cathedral on Easter Monday 22 April 2019 at 3 pm. After recording, we rehearsed the best pieces of the choir for 50 years for the fall concert.

2018

Already on November 2, 2018, we began the 50th anniversary celebration with the premiere of the Missa a cappella choral piece written and owned by Olli Tuunanen for the Savonlinna Choir at Savonlinna Church Music Week. After the fair, we moved to the Christmas mood at the Saint-Saëns Christmas Orchestra, which we performed in December in Lieksa, Joensuu and Savonlinna together with Kaisku Chamber Choir from Kontiolahti.

During the spring season 2018 we rehearsed Missa a cappella and performed two parts of it at the Express Thursday fair. We had a more entertaining program at Savonlinna Neurovision Song Contest 2018 in collaboration with Savonlinna Theater, Savonlinna Big Band and Savonlinna Orchestra.

2017

Our biggest work of 2017 was the premiere of the Aino Ackté Opera in Savonlinna Hall on October 27th, as well as performances at the Alexander Theater in Helsinki. We also participated in the Varaslähtö Vappuun Show with Savonlinna Orchestra, Savonlinna Big Band and Savonlinna Theater and Savonlinna Choirs’ joint Finland 100 Years Choir at the Market Square on St. Olav’s Day 29.7. and choir concert in the cathedral on December 11th.

2016

Autumn’s Singing Season 2016 largely followed the fall 2015 pattern. In November we performed Mozart’s Requiem together with the Savonlinna Orchestra at Imatra and Savonlinna with conductor Kari Kropsu. The soloists were soprano Johanna Engelbarth, alto Ann-Marie Heino, tenor Jere Martikainen and bass Juha Uusitalo. In December we attended a joint Christmas concert of the Savonlinna Choirs and performed the Saint-Saëns Christmas Orchestra together with Esmo in Juva and Savonlinna.

In the spring of 2016, our program featured arias and corals from Bach’s Matthew Passion on Good Friday with Kari Kropsu and Savonlinna Orchestra on the eve of May, together with Savonlinna Theater, Savonlinna Orchestra and Savonlinna Big Band with Teemu Takanen.

2015

In the fall of 2015, we performed Mozart’s Requiem together with the Savonlinna Orchestra Association and Varkauden laulu. The conductor was Kari Kropsu and the soloists were soprano Henna-Mari Luolamo, alto Minna Raassina, tenor Ville Salonen and bass Olli Tuunanen.

During Christmas, the Saint-Saëns Christmas Orchestra was performed in cooperation with the South Savo Music Theater and Opera Association and the Savonlinna Quartet. The conductor was Matti Makkonen, the soloists were soprano Päivi Pylvinäinen, mezzo-soprano Minna Raassina, alto Maiju Vaahtoluoto, baritone Joonas Asikainen and tenor Jere Martikainen. The organ was played by Maija Teikari.

Before

In 2014, the Savonlinna Choir celebrated its 45th anniversary. In honor of the celebration, the Savonlinna Choir offered the audience a Christmas carol concert with the premiere of Kyrie composed by Olli Tuunanen. The 40th anniversary concert held in Savonlinna, in 2009, many portions of Aurinkotanhu composed by choir conductor Olli Tuunanen. The lyrics for this piece were done by choir bass singer Paavo Koponen and visualization by Jaakko Martikainen.

In November 2013, as in the previous year, our choir and the Savonlinna Orchestra Society performed the great Mozart’s Requiem at the Savonlinna Cathedral. The soloists were soprano Päivi Pylvilainen, alto Minna Raassina, tenor Niall Chorell and bass Olli Tuunanen. The concert was conducted by Hannu Vesioja.

The previous equally extensive work has been the Christmas Oratorio by Kyösti Haatanen for the Savonlinna Choir in 2008. The orchestra is the Savonlinna Orchestra, the soloists are soprano Johanna Rusanen-Kartano, the alto Maria Kettunen, the tenor Tuomas Katajala and the bass Hannu Niemelä. The concert was conducted by Hannu Vesioja.