Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra


The Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat is a symphony orchestra resident in Helsinki, Finland.
YS was founded in 1926. It is a full-sized symphony orchestra, and performs concerts and tours both at home in Finland and abroad and takes part in various academic festivities.

History

The Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat can trace its roots back to the year 1747, when the Akateeminen Kapelli was founded at the Turku Academy.
After the great fire of Turku in 1827, the university moved to Helsinki, taking the orchestra with it.
From 1868 until 1926, the orchestra was run as a department of the University of Helsinki, under the name of Akadeeminen Orkesteri. In 1926, the Academic Orchestra gained its independence and became the Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat.

Conductors

A number of world-famous Finnish conductors started their careers as principal or assistant conductor of the Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat, including Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu and Susanna Mälkki.
;Principal conductors of Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat
ConductorDates
Toivo Haapanen1926–1936
Jussi Jalas1936–1946
Erik Cronvall1946–1966
Leif Segerstam1966–1967
Kari Tikka1967–1972
Ilpo Mansnerus1972–1974
Ylermi Poijärvi1974–1976
Alf Nybo1976–1979
Esa-Pekka Salonen1979–1980
Petri Sakari1980–1985
Markus Lehtinenautumn 1983, 1985–1988
Tuomas Pirilä1988–1990
Michael Adelson1990–1992
John Storgårds1992–1996
Tuomas Rousi1996–2001
Jyri Nissilä2001–2003
David Searle2003–2007
Mikk Murdvee2007–