The Vaasa City Orchestra is a professional orchestra in the city of Vaasa, Finland. Founded in 1930, the Orchestra concentrates it's performances on the classical music of renowned Finnish composers, such as Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, known as 'Jean' Sibelius (1865-1957), who was one of the most notable composers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. His music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish National identity. The core of Sibelius 'oeuvre is his set of seven prominent symphonies. Finland's leading composer and one of its greatest national figures through the composition of such patriotic works as the Kullervo Symphony (1892) - a cantata based on Finnish mythology - and the tone poem Finlandia (1899). His music helped to unify and inspire a country struggling for independence from Tsarist Russia and helped to put Finland on the map. Orchestra members and staff are salaried professionals. Since 1974, the city of Vaasa has funded the Vaasa Orchestra as a municipal entity.

 

The Vaasa Orchestra provides a culturally unique interpretation of music from Finland. The Orchestra retains a full complement of more than 30 musicians. The group cooperates in opera projects with the Vaasa Opera Foundation and Vaasa City Theatre. The Orchestra has toured internationally, in Cyprus, Norway and Sweden, and members of the Orchestra have performed throughout Europe.