Hei, me sävelletään! (Let’s compose!)

‘Hei, me sävelletään!’ is a musical education project run by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra for schools in which the schoolchildren, working with musicians from the orchestra, compose a short piece of music. The theme for the piece is a ‘core work’ chosen from the orchestra’s season programmes. Between four and six workshop days are held at the schools between two and four weeks before the main event. The workshops last about two and a half hours per group. The pupils determine the finished result, taking advice and inspiration from the musicians.

At the main event, in the auditorium of the Sibelius Hall, the groups first perform their own versions, and then the orchestra plays the core work. Admission to the event is free and it attracts a sizeable audience – primarily members of the participants’ families but also other interested parties.

The project takes place twice a year, in the spring and in autumn. It is run by five musicians from the orchestra and one member of the orchestra’s administrative team. Three or four groups participate at a time, mostly from primary schools. Once a year a pre-school group from the day nursery sponsored by the orchestra takes part as well.

At the end of the project a diploma is awarded to each participant and to each class as a whole.

The first ‘Hei, me sävelletään!’ project took place in the spring of 1995.

Current participants:
Lotta Nykäsenoja, violin
Jarmo Räikkönen, viola
Ilkka Uurtimo, cello
Jukka Hirvikangas, oboe
Harri Lidsle, tuba
Miikka Kallio, piano
Antti Ahonen, teacher/Lahti Music Institute
Kristiina Palvanen, project administrator

Former participants:
Laura Kokko, violin
Elise Rainio, violin
Anitta Engstrand, violin
Mia Kasper, horn
Kalevi Aho, composer-in-residence / Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Pekka Haapasalo, conductor / Joensuu City Orchestra
Mika Karhunen / Sibelius Academy
Richard McNicol / London Sinfonietta
John Orford / London Sinfonietta
Fraser Trainer / London Sinfonietta
Hilkka Liinavirta / project administrator