FFN Patron

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN

Finlandia Foundation National

The year 2004 has been a historic year for the Finlandia Foundation National (FFN) with the opening in May of its first national office during its 50 years of existence. The excitement continues with the recent announcement that conductor/composer Esa-Pekka Salonen has agreed to become the Patron of the Foundation.

Cultivating ties with Finland has always been a central purpose of the Foundation, and it is an honor to have Mr. Salonen as its distinguished Patron. Esa-Pekka Salonen was born in Finland in 1958 and studied at The Sibelius Academy and with private teachers in Italy. From 1992, Mr. Salonen has been the chief conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, having served as music director since 1991. He has also garnered acclaim for his work as a composer. The Philharmonic is now located at the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall, which was dedicated in October, 2003. Today the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the dynamic leadership of Esa-Pekka Salonen, is recognized as one of the world’s leading orchestras.

In its early years, the first Patron of Finlandia Foundation National was Maestro Jean Sibelius. Finlandia Foundation National was formed in 1953 under the leadership of Consul Yrjo Paloheimo, who served as president for the first six years. Goals of the Foundation were to “unite all friends of Finland in America and perpetuate Finnish-American cultural institutions.” One of the questions which arose was, “How could Finland, remote and far away, assist in this effort?”

The concept of “Finnish culture” in the minds of Foundation Trustees at that time was exemplified by the thrust towards music, and that is not a surprise since the first four years of the existence of FFN (1953-1957) was also the last four years of the life of Jean Sibelius. Sibelius agreed willingly to be associated with the fledgling Foundation as its Patron or Sponsor in Finland. The first Finlandia Foundation National scholarship fund was named after Jean Sibelius, and in 1954 the composer was presented with a birthday scroll with over 2000 donor names for the Sibelius Scholarship Fund.

With the commitment from Esa-Pekka Salonen to become the Patron, Finlandia Foundation National is reaffirming its commitment to Finland and to the recognition of the value of music within our lives, beginning with the education of our younger generation.