About FinJa Music
FinJa Music was established in Helsinki, Finland, at the beginning of 2022 by professor, cellist, and artistic advisor Seppo Kimanen; PhD, associate professor, and music researcher specialized on Japanese music, Lasse Lehtonen; and composer Ari Romppanen. It aims to promote musical exchange and co-operation between Japan and Finland by introducing mainly contemporary works from both countries in concerts arranged both in Japan and Finland. FinJa Music acts also as advisor for example music festivals and other concert organizers when it’s about introducing Japanese music in their program.
The initial idea of FinJa Music dates back until 2010, when one of the leading composers of Japan Toshi Ichiyanagi, together with Seppo Kimanen, established a society for promoting Finnish music, Japan Finland Contemporary Music Society, in Tokyo, and soon after that he launched the question if it was possible to establish corresponding society also in Finland. During years several attempts were made before FinJa Music was finally born. Unfortunately Ichiyanagi passed away just before the opening concert of FinJa Music was held at the Helsinki Finnish Club in November 2022, but also his music, among other Finnish and Japanese music, was performed in the concert.
In October 2023 FinJa Music was organizing and arranging the memorial concert of Toshi Ichiyanagi in Tokyo, which gathered the full house of audience.
In November 2024 Finja Music organizes symposium ”Japan and Finland – Composers in Dialogue” in Tokyo, in which, after the opening words of Seppo Kimanen, composers Toshio Hosokawa, Lotta Wennäkoski, and Ari Romppanen, as well as conductor Yuri Nitta, speak to the audience in discussion lead by Lasse Lehtonen, and after discussion the music of these composers, as well as other works from Finland and Japan are heard in the concert, performed by Japanese musicians.
FinJa Music has also arranged or contributed on several concerts in Helsinki, for example a piano concert of Izumi Tateno, and contributed also to many other events, for example visits of musicians and composers from Aichi or Okinawa. FinJa Music acted also as a co-planner for a Finnish-Japanese-Austrian concert in concert series of Musikwerkstatt Alte Schmiede in Vienna, maintained by the city of Vienna, in January 2024.
FinJa Music was originally established as part of Finnish Japanese Society to act as its music section by professor Seppo Kimanen, PhD Lasse Lehtonen, and composer Ari Romppanen.
FinJa Music 