About the choir
The Academic Female Voice Choir Lyran was established in 1946 by Eja Tollet and is one of the most prominent choirs in Finland today. Lyran is the only female voice choir at the University of Helsinki. The choir has around 50 active members, who are mainly students from different universities and colleges in the Helsinki region.
Lyran aims to promote and inspire the female choral tradition in Finland. The choir is well-known for its musical ambition and the choir is an important social forum for its members. The official language of the choir is Swedish. Lyran has been conducted by Jutta Seppinen since 2009. Seppinen is a versatile musician who is known for her unprejudiced choice of repertoire and her inspirational style of conducting.
Lyran’s wide repertoire encompasses various genres and the music shifts from traditional to modern, depending on the choir’s current projects. Lyran continuously expands its repertoire by commissioning new music by young Finnish composers. In addition to the concert repertoire, a large set of Lyran’s evergreens is maintained. Lyran offers also quartets and ensembles for various occasions.
Competitions, festivals and tours at home and abroad are an important part of the choir’s activities. The year 2011 marked the choir’s 65th anniversary, which was celebrated with a spectacular anniversary concert in March. In April of the same year, Lyran also participated in the Nordic Student Singer’s Summit in Sweden. In the fall, the choir produced two spectacular shows to raise funds for the long-awaited 10-day concert tour to Argentina in November 2011.
Lyran’s activities include several annual projects, such as the spring matinee on 30 April and the Christmas concerts with the Academic Male Voice Choir of Helsinki (Akademen). Adding to that collaboration, the two choirs will be performing Bach’s St. Matthew Passion on 24 March 2012.