HISTORY OF THE ACCORDION IN FINLANDIt is not known how the accordion made its way into Finland, but it probably arrived from Russia in the early part of the nineteenth century. Traditional music is very important in Finland. Probably the best known Finish accordionist in this field is Maria Kalaniemi.There are also skilled musicians in variety music, such as Paul Norrback (born 1930). He began learning at four years of age, from his father Leander. He studied the piano at a music school, and became one of the country's great accordionists. He performed with the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra and toured internationally on numerous occasions. The 38th Annual Sata-Häme Soi Accordion Accordion Festival will be held in Ikaalinen, Finland in 2010. For more information and pictures of the various activities, please visit www.accordions.com/finland |
