Tapiola Choir

The Tapiola Choir (Finnish: Tapiolan kuoro, Swedish: Tapiolakören,[1] originally Tapiolan Yhteiskoulun kuoro[2]) is a children's choir from Espoo, Finland. The choir was founded in 1963 by Erkki Pohjola. Pohjola led the choir from its formation until 1994 and cultivated a pedagogical style based on the teachings of Zoltan Kodály and Carl Orff.[2] During Pohjola's tenure as artistic director the choir undertook some fifty tours of the USA, Japan and the USSR among other countries.[3] In 1994 the director's post was taken over by Kari Ala-Pöllänen and in 2008 by Pasi Hyökki.[1]

The choir has enjoyed international acclaim and has become associated with the concept of the "Tapiola Sound" which critics have used to describe its uniquely clear and natural sound.[2] In 1971 the Tapiola Choir won the BBC Let the People Sing contest with a programme that included the piece Aglepta by Arne Mellnäs which was considered too difficult to perform by some Scandinavian choirs.[4] The choir was awarded the UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts in 1996 and the Youth Choir of the Year award by the Finnish Broadcasting Company in 2005.[3] In 2017 the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland awarded the Tapiola Choir with the Lapsenpäivä prize for excellence in art education.[5]

In 1984 former members of the choir founded the Tapiola Chamber Choir. In 2020 the choir established the Kari Ala-Pöllänen prize to be awarded biennially to accomplished and inspiring Finnish school choir directors.[6]

See also

References
  1. "In English / På svenska". Tapiolan kuoro. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  2. Lehtonen, Tiina-Maija (4 January 2019). "Tapiolan kuoron isä Erkki Pohjola – Musiikin syntymäpäiväkalenteri" [The Father of the Tapiola Choir Erkki Pohjola – Music Birthday Calendar]. Yle (in Finnish). Helsinki.
  3. "Tapiolan kuoro". Uppslagsverket Finland (in Swedish). Schildts, SFV. 2 June 2017 [4 May 2009].
  4. Bell, Marjatta; Hietala, Marjatta (2002). Helsinki: The Innovative City: Historical Perspectives. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran toimituksia. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. p. 331. ISBN 951-746-359-6. ISSN 0355-1768.
  5. Terho, Sampo (17 November 2017). "Viisi lastenkulttuurin tekijää palkittiin" (Press release) (in Finnish). Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö.
  6. Koppinen, Mari (25 August 2020). "Tapiolan kuoro perustaa valtakunnallisen palkinnon koulukuorojen parissa toimiville inspiroiville kuoronjohtajille" [Tapiola Choir launches national award for inspiring choir directors working with school choirs]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish).
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