The Helsinki Strings

The Helsinki Strings (Finnish: Helsingin juniorijouset, Swedish: Helsingfors Juniorstråkar) is a world-renowned youth orchestra based in Helsinki, Finland. The Helsinki Strings, formed of students from the East Helsinki Music Institute and the Sibelius Academy, has fifty members from the ages of 10 to 20. The Helsinki Strings was founded by its conductors Csaba and Géza Szilvay in 1972, while Max Rostal and Yehudi Menuhin have served as the patrons of the orchestra. After winning the Finnish Association of Music Schools Competition in 1977, the Helsinki Strings have released around 30 records, toured internationally and made over 70 television programmes, of which the artistic-educational series entitled Minifiddlers in Musicland (YLE) marked a new era in music education in Finland. In addition to Finland, the orchestra has given concerts in Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. International forums ASTA (American String Teachers’ Association), ESTA (European String Teachers' Association), IKS (International Kodály Society), ISME (International Society for Music Education) and NMPU (Nordic Music Pedagogical Union) have all promoted the orchestra's reputation beyond its national borders. Records, concert tours and demonstrations around the world have brought the Helsinki Strings the honorary title "the best youth orchestra in the world". The Strad stated in its April 2004 issue: "Few chamber orchestras can dream of the Helsinki Strings' level of precision and lyricism; even fewer pass through the mirror with such style and grace." A substantial number of today's active Finnish soloists, chamber and orchestral musicians, conductors, composers, music teachers and journalists have played as members of the Helsinki Strings over the years, and a number have achieved international reputation, including Linda Brava, Pekka Kuusisto and Réka Szilvay. The Szilvay brothers have gained international recognition both as string pedagogues and as conductors and educators of children's and youth orchestras. They are authors of the Colourstrings method based on Zoltán Kodály's philosophy, which at present comprises 40 publications, and they have given 150 lectures on this teaching method and philosophy all over the world. In recognition of their work for youth culture they were awarded the Knight Order of the Finnish Lion in 1981, The Culture Prize of Finland in 1983, The Hungarian State Award for Cultural Activity in 1990, the Culture Prize of Helsinki in 1995, the Pro Musica Award in 1999, and the International Kodály Prize in 2007. The Helsinki Strings is supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education, Finnish foundations and funds, companies, other organizations and private persons. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.