Sunday Service - Mindekirken

Pastor Lloyd Tryland preaching; The Suomi Finland 100 Chorus, conducted by Eeva Savolainen, and the Mindekirken Choir.

The Suomi Finland 100 Choir is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this fall. What started as an idea to celebrate the 100 years of the Independence of Finland in 2016 with choral music grew to a full-blown choral concert with Bloomington Symphony Orchestra conducted by Manny Laureano; and to a performance attended by President Sauli Niinistö at the Orchestra Hall. The choir surprised Maestro Osmo Vanska with a Finlandia flashmob at the Orchestra Hall in 2022 as part of Vanska's farewell events. Numerous performances and collaborations with other musical groups have followed ever since around Twin Cities and Minnesota. The choir's director since its inception is Eeva Savolainen who holds a Master of Music degree from Sibelius Academy. 

The choir's founder and director is Eeva Savolainen who holds a Master of Music degree from Sibelius Academy and recently retired from her choir director position at Our Saviour's Lutheran in East Bethel. After immigrating to the US in 1996 Eeva performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, Oratorio Society and Bach Society among others, and toured as a recitalist performing seldom heard Nordic repertoire across the US. In 2005-07 she produced and toured with Finnish children opera Heinahattu ja Vilttitossu in the Midwest as a grant recipient of Finlandia Foundation. This was a partnership with local schools where elementary/middle-school students were performing along with professional artists.  As a choral singer Eeva was a member of Dale Warland Singers and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorus. 

Collaborative pianist is Sari Ronnholm, MM, Sibelius Academy and DMN, University of MN