Cantores Minores
The Choir of Boys and Men of the Helsinki Cathedral
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Cantores Minores, the Choir of Boys and Young Men of Helsinki Cathedral, was founded in 1952.
Its first conductor was the Finnish-American Dr. of Musicology, Mrs. Ruth-Esther Hillila. The three following conductors came from Vienna (Austria) Mr. Peter Lacovich, Zwickau Prof. H. Hofmann and Dresden (Germany) prof. C. Hauschild, the original footholds of European protestant 'Knabenchor' -tradition. Cantores Minores is the largest and most professional boys choir and choir school in Finland offering boys and young men both musical and spiritual education around the Helsinki region. Cantores Minores is especially famous for its performances of large church music pieces by J.S. Bach, G.F. Händel and F. Mendelssohn and a strong inspiration and example for the choir has during its almost 70 years of existence been the 1000 year-long protestant boys choir tradition in Germany. The Artistic Director of the choir and Principal of the Cantores Minores Music Institute has since year 2005 been Doctor of Music and conductor Hannu Norjanen |
Versatile music education
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Cantores Minores acts as Music Institute where tuition in musical theory and voice as well as some instruments is given to boys from age seven. There are a total over 500 members yearly in the various stages of the choir (ages from 3 to 28) and over 3000 boys and young men have sung in the Cantores Minores during its 69 years of existence and the choir has produced numerous professional musicians active in a variety of fields. Each year about 50-60 boys aged 6-10 years become accepted to the CM training groups. After receiving two terms of training in music theory, note reading and singing and after having passed the final exams they become accepted to the A-choir (the actual performing choir). Following this the training continues in rehearsals 3 times aweek and in music the camps held twice a year. The CM Music Institute offers lessons in solo singing, piano playing, flute and further music theory courses.
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Demanding Repertoire
Cantores Minores performs regularly at international choir and music festivals in addition to the yearly seasonal concerts in Finland. On its 66 international tours the choir has travelled to Japan, The United States, Russia as well as 22 European countries. Over the past years the choir has been invited to perform at the world-famous festivals like Leipzig Bach Festival in Germany (2017), Ravenna Festival in Italy (2017), Con Spirito Church Music Festival in Hungary (2018) and Maslenitsa in Song Festival St. Petersburg in Russia (2019).
The Cantores Minores Choir works in close collaboration with school authorities and local schools with the purpose of wanting to offer a stable place of music education for boys and young men as well as to insure the continuity of the historic boy choir tradition in Finland. In 1965, Cantores Minores became the first Finnish choir to win the first international Let the People Sing competition organized by the BBC, and in 1994 it placed well in its category in the first European Competition for Cathedral Choirs in Amiens, France. Cantores Minores was nominated the Youth Choir of the Year for the season 2009-10 by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). The choir has been granted significant awards for its work in education – both musical and over all education – of children and young people: in 2014 Cantores Minores received the State Prize for Music and in February 2015 the choir was granted the Educator of the Year Prize.
The Cantores Minores Choir works in close collaboration with school authorities and local schools with the purpose of wanting to offer a stable place of music education for boys and young men as well as to insure the continuity of the historic boy choir tradition in Finland. In 1965, Cantores Minores became the first Finnish choir to win the first international Let the People Sing competition organized by the BBC, and in 1994 it placed well in its category in the first European Competition for Cathedral Choirs in Amiens, France. Cantores Minores was nominated the Youth Choir of the Year for the season 2009-10 by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). The choir has been granted significant awards for its work in education – both musical and over all education – of children and young people: in 2014 Cantores Minores received the State Prize for Music and in February 2015 the choir was granted the Educator of the Year Prize.
The President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio are the patrons of the Cantores Minores choir.