Pipe Organ Encounter in Finland 1–7 August 2019

The Finland Chapter of the American Guild of Organists

The first international POE took place in Finland

1 – 7 August 2019 in Helsinki, Finland

The first international POE took place in Finland

Here impressions of our Pipe Organ Encounter. Especially glad I am about our great participants for their enthusiasm, behavior and musicality. Some of them were performing already on day two at the Helsinki Cathedral and all of them at the final matinee yesterday at the Organo Hall of Helsinki Music Centre. Congratulations for your achievements during this POE!

I want to thank everybody, who made an input on this POE, especially treasurer Irina and board member Tommi Niskala for everything, what they have done for this POE. Without them this POE would have been possible! I am also very grateful for the co-operation with the Sibelius-Academy (University of Arts Helsinki), the Sibelius Summer Academy and professor of Church Music Timo Kiiskinen, who was also one of the teachers of the POE!

Thank you, all the teachers: Timo Kiiskinen, Irina Niskala, Tommi Niskala, Tomi Satomaa Markku Hekkala, and Anne Hätönen. I had also the pleasure to teach. Many thanks also for Peter Krasinski for an outstanding and touching concert with improvisations on The Hunchback of Notre Dame and for the introduction on improvisation on silent movies for our participants at Hämeenlinna Cathedral and the Organo Hall in Helsinki. One highlight was also the virtuosic and impressive Bach Concert of Balázs Szabó at the Porthan Organ at Janakkala Church. One more special thank you goes to Markku Hekkala for arranging the legendary sauna evenings at the lake.

The parishes of Helsinki, Janakkala and Hämeenlinna provided us with the venues, so that we were able to introduce most significant organs of Finland to our participants. Some of them were even insisting, that we have a POE in Finland again next year. I promise, that we consider this really carefully and I can ensure you, that there is already some enthusiasm about this among us, the people of the Finland Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Last but not least I thank AGO headquarters, Finnish Music Foundation, APOBA, AIO and Foley-Baker Inc. for their financial support!

During this week of our POE I felt the power of music and all the musical talent of the participants. I hope to see one day again and that you....

Susanne Kujala

Director of the POE

AGO Finland, dean