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Vaasa City Orchestra

Listen Listen

Vaasa City Orchestra, established in 1930, has 31 musicians. Anna-Maria Helsing is the chief conductor of the orchestra since January 2025.

The orchestra

Vaasa City Orchestra

The Vaasa City Orchestra is a high-level symphony orchestra consisting of 31 musicians, profiling itself through the tonal colors of classical instruments. The orchestra performs classical repertoire, chamber music, entertainment, children’s concerts, and opera music. The concert venue for the orchestra is the Vaasa City Hall, located in the center of Vaasa.

In addition to symphony concerts, the orchestra engages in entertainment and school concerts, as well as concerts that blend various genres of music. Collaborative concerts with other orchestras in the nearby region are also part of the City Orchestra’s activities. The Vaasa City Orchestra collaborates with the Vaasa City Theatre on opera productions. During the summer, the orchestra performs at music festivals. Since 1999, the City Orchestra has participated in the International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition organized by the Viljo and Maire Vuorio Foundation every three years. The Vaasa City Orchestra also serves as the orchestra for the Jorma Panula Conducting Course.

Anna-Maria Helsing is the the chief conductor of the orchestra from January 2025. The designated composer for the orchestra is Markus Fagerudd. The working and concert venue for the orchestra is the Vaasa City Hall, located in the center of Vaasa. The Vaasa City Orchestra originally started its operations in 1930, founded by the Orchestra Association. In 1974, it was municipalized and renamed the Vaasa City Orchestra. In 2024, the Vaasa City Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary!

Conductor

Chief Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing

Anna-Maria Helsing is the Chief Conductor of Vaasa City Orchestra since January 1^st, 2025.

Helsing is an internationally recognized name who has served as the principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra since October 2023.

She is the first woman in Finland to lead a major professional symphony orchestra, and has since conducted nearly all the major Finnish orchestras as well as at premieres of operas, including at the Royal Danish Opera, the Finnish National Opera, the Savonlinna Opera Festival, and the Tampere Opera House.

– When I was asked if I would be interested in this role, it actually felt very natural to accept it. It felt like a natural continuation of what has already existed. We have had a long collaboration through the Rusk Festival and opera partnerships, and now we can deepen that further. For the orchestra and me, it has always been a pleasure to work together. I enjoy the development that takes place in the orchestra during the rehearsal period, which is visible in the concert, Anna-Maria Helsing says.