Hannikainen
Music by the prolific Finnish composer family Hannikainen is explored and recognised with the Hannikainen Prize & Masterclass.
In the spirit of developing abundance and diversity in classical music in Montenegro, this annual masterclass not only explores opera and the world’s most beautiful arias, but also offers young singing students the chance to expand their repertoire to Finnish composers and their vocal works of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries
Fennomania was a Finnish cultural identity movement in the 19th-century Grand Duchy of Finland, built on the work of the fennophile interests of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Finland declared independence from Russia on the 6th of December 1917. Finnish culture underwent sweeping changes between 1890 and 1920, a period in which all the arts flourished. In music, Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) and the singer Aino Ackté (1876 – 1944) captivated international concert and opera audiences. Meanwhile composers Toivo Kuula (1883 – 1918) and Leevi Madetoja (1887 – 1947) developed the art of opera in Finland and Oskar Merikanto (1868 – 1924) was traveling the length and breadth of Finland, penetrating deep into the ranks of the ordinary people with his solo songs and brilliant piano technique. Music was at the turn of the century an important element in building up a national Finnish culture and identity.
Operosa founder Katherine Haataja is a direct descendant of Pietari Hannikainen (1813 – 1899) who was a Finnish author and leading advocate of the Fennoman movement and uncle of composer Pekka Juhani Hannikainen (1854 – 1924). Further members of the musical branch of this influential family include composer Väinö Hannikainen (1900 – 1960), violinist Arvo Hannikainen (1897 – 1942) and conductor Tauno Hannikainen (1896 – 1968), as well as composer and pianist Ilmari Hannikainen (1892 –1955) who alone composed more than 100 solo songs, 65 works for piano, choral pieces, and several works for both the violin and violoncello.
Variations fantasques for piano are among the most outstanding of his compositions for piano and his two-act opera Talkootanssit had its premiere at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1930. Prominent artists of the Hannikainen family since include composer and pianist Ann-Elise Hannikainen (1946 – 2012) and conductor and violinist Tuomas Hannikainen (1968 – ).
The Hannikainen Prize is generously awarded by the Hannikainen Association.
