Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra

The Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra is an example of the small but excellent orchestral ensembles that are found in many of Finland's cities. Jyväskylä is located in central Finland, about 400 kilometers north of the capital city of Helsinki. Jyväskylä is at the meeting of three major waterways and was founded in 1837. It is a center of education, architecture, sports, and the arts, and has a population of 74,000. A famous architect, Alvar Aalto, attended the lyceum in Jyväskylä (the first to teach in the Finnish language) and began his architectural career there. There are over two dozen building designed by him in the city, which has attracted other important architects to design buildings for the small city. The Jyväskylä Sinfonia (or Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra) was founded as the orchestra of the Jyväskylä Music College in 1949. The Jyväskylä Orchestra Society was founded soon afterwards to take charge of the fledgling orchestra in 1955, but then was placed under the auspices of the city as a municipal orchestra. In 1988 the orchestra reorganized as a stock corporation -- the only orchestra with such a constitution in Finland. This took place during an important period in the orchestra's history when its conductor and music director was the British conductor William Boughton, who held that position from 1985 to 1993. He was succeeded by Ari Rasilainen (1995 - 1998) and then by Markus Lehtinen, who took the position in the autumn of 1999. Other important conductors and guest artists have appeared with the orchestra. It is in effect if not in name a large chamber orchestra of 35 players. It has recorded successfully. Its best-known release is Lauluja merelle, an album featuring the internationally known Finnish soprano Karita Mattila. The disc was the first release of either the singer or the orchestra to be certified platinum. The orchestra performs in the small (551-seat) Jyväskylä City Theater.