Jaakko Linjama's 100th anniversary celebrated in Jyväskylä

On 28 October Jyväskylä Sinfonia will celebrate the 100th anniversary of composer Jaakko Linjama (1909-1983) with a concert at the Taulumäki Church. The concert will include works from Jaakko Linjama himself and from his son Jouko Linjama and grandson Jyrki Linjama. The celebrations also include Jouko and Jyrki Linjama’s a presentation of Jaakko Linjama’s works on October 26 at the Jyväskylä City Theatre.

Jaakko Linjama is especially renowned of his Olympic hymn which won the first price in the Helsinki Olympic Hymn competition in 1952. As a composer Jaakko Linjama was mostly self-taught and besides his Olympic Hymn he is remember especially from his several works for choir and orchestra.

Jouko and Jyrki Linjama now continue in Jaakko Linjama’s composer footsteps and three of their works will have their world premieres in October and November. These premieres include Jouko Linjama’s Juhlasoitto ‘Totuuden hetki’ on 4 October and Les Tapisseries on 5 November and Jyrki Linjama’s Allerheiligentag II, commissioned by Jyväskylä Sinfonia, on 28 October.

Helen Metsä / Fimic
20 October, 2009