Schoolchildren get to hear their own compositions performed by professional musicians
Pupils from class 5A at the Hietakumpu Primary School in Helsinki have embarked on a unique musical adventure into the world of composition. They teamed up with professional composers, students from Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy and musicians from professional symphony orchestras and composed their own brand-new works. The public will get to hear them performed at the Kohtaamisia concert in the Lower Foyer of the Helsinki Music Centre on Monday 16 March 2026 at 17:30.
The concert is part of the Kuule, minä sävellän! (“Hear This, I’m a Composer!”) education project, which offers children the opportunity to compose music for symphony orchestra instruments without prerequisites or previous musical experience. This year, the project is being carried out for the first time with an entire school class. It provides a rare opportunity to hear the kind of music children create when they are given space, trust and creative freedom.
A composition adventure that started with exploring instruments
The pupils began their composing work in December 2025 when they were able to explore orchestral instruments and develop ideas for the structure of their pieces together with composers, students from Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy and orchestral musicians. At the beginning of 2026, the work continued at the pupils’ school.
The work has been guided by composers Minna Leinonen and Pasi Lyytikäinen, actor and improvisation coach Elina Stirkkinen and university arts teacher Anna-Karin Korhonen. This time, students of composition pedagogy from the Sibelius Academy also play a strong role in the Kuule, minä sävellän! project. The pupils were supported by Sibelius Academy students Otto Nuoranne, Matteo Bello, Arttu Ahovaara, Maria Ilmoniemi-Loureiro, Jin Oh, Preben Antonsen and Nino Hellberg Håkansson.
“I’ve learnt to play different instruments and to compose. The best part is getting to hear professional musicians play what you’ve created and tried to imagine. If compositions are needed in the future, I can continue composing,” describes one of pupils who took part in the project.
“It has been wonderful to see the creative power the children have and how their ideas have turned into real pieces. The process has been full of joy,” says Baabek Stenholm, teacher of class 5A.
Top musicians to premiere the children’s works
At the concert on 16 March, the children’s compositions will be performed by the Kuule Ensemble, consisting of musicians from the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The concert will be conducted by Vuokko Lahtinen, a conducting student at the Sibelius Academy.
The Kuule, minä sävellän! education project is run collaboratively by Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Helsinki Music Centre Ltd. The project is based on the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers programme. In Finland, similar activities were launched in 2011 by lecturer in music education Riitta Tikkanen at the Sibelius Academy. The project’s philosophy is clear: No musical skills are required of the participating children, and each child’s musical vision is realised exactly as they imagine it. Adults act as listeners, supporters and notation assistants – mentors who help the child bring their musical ideas to life. The process encourages concentration, discovery and self-expression.
Read more about the Kuule, minä sävellän! Project
Kuule, minä sävellän! – Kohtaamisia
Helsinki Music Centre, Lower Foyer
Mannerheimintie 13 A, 00100 Helsinki
Monday 16 March 2026 at 17:30, free admission
Composers: Class 5A, Hietakumpu Primary School
Conductor: Vuokko Lahtinen
Kuule Ensemble:
- Jenny Villanen, flute and piccolo (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
- Péter Jánosi, French horn (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
- Pasi Eerikäinen, violin (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
- Saara Särkimäki, cello (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)