The Wind Band of the Music Institute of Eastern Helsinki (Itä-Helsingin musiikkiopisto) has just confirmed their appearance at Finn Grand Fest this summer. This youthful group of 40 players was founded in 1995 by Ms. Helena Sinisalo, and it has performed and competed nationally and toured in Paris and Malta.
The Wind Band was founded in 1995 to provide an orchestra for the wind instrument players of the Music Institute of Eastern Helsinki, in Finland. Over the years it has evolved to an orchestra of forty players, with the age range of 13 to 20 years.
The Wind Band was founded by Ms. Helena Sinisalo, who still serves as its conductor. Currently, she teaches the trumpet at the Music Institute. Previously, Sinisalo played the trumpet in symphony orchestras and at theatres in Pori, Tampere and Helsinki. She has also played the trumpet in “Ladies First”, a women-only Finnish big band.
The Wind Band has performed at national events, at musical events organized by various charities and for local businesses. The band has received good grades in competitions. The audiences have especially appreciated the band’s choice of music. The band plays modern Finnish music and music that other Finnish wind bands do not usually play.
In June 2006, the band visited Paris. At the festival of French marching bands, the Wind Band had the special honour to be one of the orchestras invited to play at the Arc de Triomphe. In June 2007, the band visited Malta. In the Spring of 2008, the band played at the First of May greeting to the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen – a special honour for artists in Finland. In the same year, the band recorded its first CD “Souvenirs”, the name reflecting the visits to Paris and Malta. In May 2009, the band played at a wind orchestra festival in Vyborg, Russia, and gave an own concert in the Lutheran Church.