Concert Halls

There are no less than 15 professional orchestras listed as members in the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras, another 8 semi-professional or chamber orchestras, and 7 more orchestras of varying styles like the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and the Vantaa Pops Orchestra. With so many orchestras in Finland, it should come as no surprise that there are almost as many fine concert halls for them to perform in.

Finlandia Hall is located by Töölönlahti bay in Helsinki. Designed by Alvar Aalto, the main concert hall seats 1,700 and features marble balconies and cobalt-blue walls with bent-wood decoration. The smaller auditorium seats 340.

Kulttuuritalo in Alppila, Helsinki was also designed by Alvar Aalto, and combines a concert hall, an office building and a lecture-theater block connecting the two.

The Helsinki Music Center is a concert hall and a music center which is as yet unfinished in Töölönlahti, Helsinki. When completed the main hall will seat 1,700 people, but the building will also host five smaller auditoriums, each seating 140-400 people.

Martinus Concert Hall in Vantaa is a modern, comfortable and versatile venue. Built in 1987, it was mainly intended as the home of the Vantaa Orchestra as well as for other acoustic concerts, however it has been mainly used for live bands using amplification and for theatre.

In Espoo there are three venues used as concert halls, the 400 seater Sellosali, located in the Sello shopping centre in Leppävaara, and Tapioli and Louhi Halls which are both situated in the Espoo Cultural Centre.

The Sibelius Hall is a situated by a lake in Lahti. Designed by Kimmo Lintula and Hannu Tikka designed, the hall is made of wood and has excellent acoustics. It has a capacity of 1,250 seats, and is home to the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

The Promenadikeskus in Pori consists of a 714-seat concert hall and five THX-type cinema theatres. The concert hall is a multi-purpose with an emphasis on classical acoustic music. However, Pori also hosts one of the biggest jazz festivals in Europe, and the hall can also host concerts using amplification.

Tampere Talo is home to the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, and has 2 auditoriums. The main hall seats 1,756 and the smaller hall seats 446.

Turku Concert Hall was designed by architect Risto-Veikko Luukkonen and constructed in 1952, was the first concert hall in Finland, seats just over 1,000 people and is home to the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Kuopio Music Centre features a 1,064-seater Concert Hall with acoustics designed by professor Alpo Halme that have been praised both by musicians and audiences alike.

The Joensuu City Orchestra calls the Carelia Hall at the Joensuu campus of the University of Eastern Finland home, but also play at other venues such as the Joensuu Evangelic-Lutheran church and the concert hall of Joensuu Conservatory.

Lappeenranta Hall seats 850, is located in the City Hall and is home to the Lappeenranta City Orchestra, now in its second century.

Oulu Music Centre consists of Madetoja Concert Hall with seating for 674 on the main floor and 142 on the top circle, and the Tulindberg Concert Hall which has seating for 220.

Lappia Hall in Rovaniemi serves as a concert hall, theatre and conference center. Designed by architect Alvar Aalto, the hall is used by the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland.