Upcoming Events and Announcements:

Christmas Party - Sunday, December 14th, 3:00 PM:  The ‘joulujuhla’ (Christmas party) will be held at room 1228 in the Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, the same location as last year. Since the party is on Sunday, free parking is available on the streets and the Soldiers and Sailors garage offers indoor parking for only $5.00. The abundance of ‘jouluruokaa’ and ‘-juomaa’ will surely secure the ‘joulumieli’ and jouluriemu’ (Christmas spirit and Christmas joy). Jukka Akkanen is again bringing his guitar and will lead us in singing ‘riemukkaita’ (merry) joululauluja (Christmas songs).  Remember to bring your own ‘joulupaistos’ (casserole) or any favorite dish or dessert. There will be door prizes and if the children have been ‘kilttejä’ (good) Joulupukki (Santa Claus) will also visit.

Finnish Nationality Classroom T-Shirts for Sale.  
Click here for more information.

Meetings:  The Finlandia Foundation, Pittsburgh Chapter meets on Thursdays.  To find out the next time and location or to learn more about any of the groups events, please contact Seija Cohen (412) 372-6876 or SeijaC@aol.com.

Other Activities: Members of the Finnish group attend events of the Scandinavian Society of South Western PA and events of the Sons of Norway, Pittsburgh district.

Language Instruction and Translations:  Finnish language lessons and assistance translating letters or other memorabilia are offered to our members and supporters. Any fees collected will be contributed the Finnish Nationality Classroom Fund. 

Private Finnish language lessons are offered either formally (using a text book) or informally (discussing materials of particular interest). The cost of each lesson is $5.00/hour. The text books used are Mastering Finnish by Borje Vahamaki and Finnish for Foreigners by Maija-Hellikki Aaltio.  However, other text books familiar to the student may be substituted.

Additionally Seija Cohen is offering a course that follows the material in her book titled: Song of Väinämöinen: An Introduction to Finnish Language. This course meets three times and each session is 3 hours. The cost is $45.00 and $15.00 for a booklet. This course will be offered every two months or when a suitable group is formed. The fees will support the Finnish Room Fund as well as cover the printing costs of the booklet. 

To sign-up for language lessons or translation services contact Seija Cohen (412) 372-6876 or SeijaC@aol.com.
 

 

Highlights of Past Events:

July 23-27, 2008:   A number of our members traveled to Duluth Minnesota to attend FinnFest 2008.   The Pittsburgh Finns sponsored a booth at the Tori to publicize the Finnish Nationality Classroom Project.  In addition to providing information about the Finnish Room project, donated books and other items were sold to raise money for the project.  The president of Finland, Tarja Halonen visited the Tori and her party was given a package containing the video, "Home Lands Remembered" describing the history of the Nationality Rooms, and flyer describing the Finnish Room project. [pictures].

April 27, 2008:   Sunday Music Medley and Dancing in the Kurtzman Room at the William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh. Two exceptionally talented accordion players, the Finlandia Foundation Performers of Year Duo, Bert Stromholm and Brent Buswell entertained us with their music and our own Carl Rahkonen joined them as the host speaker. Carl discussed the history and background of the music.  Special focus was on the music of Viola Turpeinen (1909 – 1958). Viola was a Finnish American accordionist, who became very popular in dance halls and weddings with her music group.  She composed some of her own music and was known as the Accordion Princess of America.  In addition to Viola’s music, the duo played Scandinavian and Finnish accordion pieces. 

December 2, 2007:  The annual Holiday Open House was held from noon to 4PM at the Cathedral of Learning to showcase the holiday decorations displayed in the University of Pittsburgh Nationality Classrooms. The classrooms were open for tours and ethnic performances filled the area with music and singing. Finnish Room Committee members sold pulla, pancakes, apricot cookies, jolutorttus, books, T-shirts, and handmade Christmas tree decorations.  All proceeds from the sale of these items will help fund the construction of the Finnish Nationality Classroom. 

December 15, 2007:  The annual Finnish Christmas party was held at the University of Pittsburgh in Room 1228 of the Cathedral of Learning.  Festivities included a meal of joulukinkku and other traditional Finnish foods followed by joululaulu and a visit from Joulupukki.

Sunday June 3, 2007: A spring Concert was held in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, University of Pittsburgh (in Oakland, opposite the Cathedral of Learning) featuring violinists Sylvia and Linnea Hurttia and pianist William Larson.  The program consisted of Scandinavian music including Sibelius’ Humoresques I and II, and his beautiful Romance, Englund’s Sonata, and songs by Grieg, Merikanto, Kuula and Jarnefelt. Also included were Bartok’s Romanian dances, Tchaikovsky’s Meditation, Bach’s Concerto for two violins and Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo capriccio.   Click here to download the concert flyer for more information.

June 2, 2006: An award ceremony and press event was held on June 2nd at in the Commons Room of the Cathedral of Learning. During this event a prize for the best design of the Finnish Nationality Classroom was awarded to architecture student Mika Grönhahl from Oulu University, Finland (shown in the picture to the left).  Mika presented his winning design, titled The Big Dipper which is based on an early Finnish smoke cottage and combines tradition with modern technology, original materials, and a coherent theme. Following the ceremony and presentation, the group toured the 26 Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning and examined the future site of the Finnish Nationality Room.   (Click here for more photos and information on the winning design.)

June 1, 2006: The music group, Kaiku, who were named the Finlandia Foundation performers of the year in 2006 performed at the Garfield Artworks, 4931 Penn Avenue (see photo).  Kaiku is a New York based group of Finnish and American musicians. Their music is a fascinating mix of spirited Finnish singing and world music instrumentation. Local musician Carl Rahkonen started the event by playing Finnish tunes with violin and the kantele, a traditional Finnish string instrument  (see photo2 and photo3).

March 2006:  Congratulations to the winners of the Student Design Competition!  The competition was for the best potential design for the Finnish Nationality Classroom.  First place was awarded to Mika Gröndahl, architecture student from Oulu University.  An overview of his design is shown to the left.  The second prize winners are a design team comprised of Eero Lunden, Heikki Muntola, Olli Saarikoski and Eero Tapio from Oulu University. The third prize winners are Jesperi Vara and Jussi Heinonen from Tampere University of Technology.  Click here to learn more about the contest and winning designs.  

May 26 - May 28, 2006:  Members of the Finlandia Foundation pitched in at the Pittsburgh Folk Festival to help staff the Scandinavian Society display booth. The exhibit focused on "Scandinavian Handicrafts."  and a collection of folk costumes (photo1, photo2) as well as embroidery (photo3), wood and chip carving, rosemaling, knitting, crocheting, and painting were displayed. 

April 9, 2006: Sharon Rahkonen gave a presentation titled "The Development of Secondary Education in Finland" during the Scandinavian Society meeting.  Afterwards, Seija Cohen demonstrated how to bake a tippaleipiä, a cruller made of a thin batter typical for the Finnish May day celebration.  There was a potluck dinner following the program.

October 8, 2005: The Scandinavian Society Nordic Night Dinner.  This was an exciting occasion for us since the entertainer at the dinner was no one else but Richard Koski, the Finlandia Foundation Performer of Year 2005.  Richard was recommended by Carl Rahkonen, our member, and nominated by the Pittsburgh Chapter with support from the Finger Lakes Finns.  Richard plays old-time Finnish dance music on one and two row diatonic button accordions, the violin and other folk instruments.  The button accordions, which are rarely heard in Finnish-American music today, were popular in the nineteenth century, before the invention of the piano accordion around 1900.  (More Event Information)

September 25, 2005: Anna-Maija Ylimaula, professor of architecture at Oulu University and the Finnish designer for the Finnish Nationality Classroom, came to Pittsburgh to view the Nationality Rooms and meet the University architects. (Pitt Chronicle)  The previous Sunday, committee members got to know Professor Ylimaula during a pot luck open house.

March 20, 2005:  Presentation by Richard Pinkerton and the Southminister Ringers was held Sunday at 3:00 in room 1228 in the Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh.   Richard Pinkerton is the music director of the Southminster Presbyterian Church.   Last summer he and the Southminster Ringers, a group of eighteen high school juniors and seniors who are bell ringers at the church,  spent three-weeks abroad.  The group  performed in Helsinki continuing to Ylivieska, Sodankylä, Taivalkoski and Kuopio in Finland, Vyborg (Russia), Parnu (Estonia) and Reykjavik (Iceland). 

August 4, 2003:  A formal Dedication of Gift Ceremony was held to signify the official acceptance by the University of Pittsburgh of the Finnish Committee proposal to construct a Finnish heritage classroom on the third floor of the Cathedral of learning. (Learn More)

April 27, 2003: Performance of soprano Maarit Vaga with the Folk Orchestra of the Shadyside First Unitarian Church. This event was sponsored by the Finnish Room Committee and the Scandinavian Society of Western Pennsylvania. The event featured Finnish tangos, art songs by Jean Sibelius and Eduard Tubin, and pieces by American composer George Gershwin. (Pitt Chronicle)

Past Newsletters: Joululetter2005.pdf, September2005.pdf.


 [content questions]  [contact web manager]  [home]