Tapiola Sinfonietta pushes back boundaries

The Tapiola Sinfonietta continues to delight audiences in Espoo with top-tier classical music. Recently, the orchestra has expanded its repertoire with indie concerts that blend different artistic disciplines.

At the Tapiola Sinfonietta’s concert held at the Espoo Cultural Centre in Tapiola, theatre diva and TV favourite Tellervo von Appelgren – the parody creation of actress Miitta Sorvali – makes a late entrance and rambles to herself.

She eventually makes her way to the stage for a bit of obscene banter with the orchestra’s violinist and conductor Jan Söderblom. What on earth is Sorvali doing at a chamber orchestra concert?

A couple of years ago, the Tapiola Sinfonietta reflected on its vision and pioneering role. They wanted to make classical music more approachable for those who are not seasoned concert-goers.

“Classical music concerts are typically bound by tradition, from knowing when to clap to when to remain silent. We wanted to break away from the conventional performance styles by creating a new concert concept,” says Marketa Rehor, Managing Director of the Tapiola Sinfonietta.

Breaking the mould of classical music concerts, the Tapiola Sinfonietta’s indie concerts are intermission-free and feature artists representing various disciplines. Striking visuals and a light touch of dramaturgy are also important elements of the performances. To achieve this, the teams include professionals from different fields.

In the performance starring Sorvali, the orchestra explored the traditions associated with performing classical music, questioning whether they must be taken seriously or if there is, in fact, room for laughter. As the character of Tellervo, Sorvali certainly succeeded, leaving the audience chortling.

The indie concerts will continue in the autumn.

The Tapiola Sinfonietta is an ensemble of about 40 professional musicians, and the orchestra is responsible for its own artistic planning. Collaborative productions are developed together with partners.

More than 50 concerts are staged each year, and the total number of events is around 200. The orchestra also performs high-class crossover concerts combining different musical styles and featuring popular artists.

“The sinfonietta is a world-class orchestra, which is also reflected in the quality of our international guests. Whether you attend a children’s concert or a symphony, you can be sure of a first-rate performance,” Rehor says.

The Tapiola Sinfonietta wants to reach all Espoo residents at least at some stage of life.

The orchestra’s “godchild” activities extend from expectant families to babies and toddlers. Schoolchildren are reached through the KULPS Culture Path. The Tapiola Sinfonietta’s musicians mainly perform in schools that are not located in the vicinity of cultural venues.

The musicians also visit Espoo residents at day care centres, schools, hospitals and hospices.

“Community outreach activities are part of the orchestra’s mission, and each musician undertakes six outreach visits per year. The musicians decide on the target groups with whom they wish to collaborate,” Producer Miina Sivula explains.

The orchestra is particularly well-known for its hospital musicians. The musicians are provided with separate training for working in hospitals.

They also occasionally perform in the Glass Courtyard of the Tapiola Health Centre. The surrounding buildings house a maternity and child health clinic as well as other health services.

“When the opening notes of Myrskyluodon Maija ring out, the windows in the nearby buildings start to open, one by one.”

• Founded in 1987 
• An internationally renowned chamber orchestra 
• The repertoire includes classical music from various eras, as well as bold cross-disciplinary productions
• Read more: tapiolasinfonietta.fi(external link, opens in a new window)

Text: Marjo Tiirikka.

This article was originally published in the Espoo-lehti magazine 1/2026. Read other Espoo-lehti articles.