The history of Riihimäki Music College

The Riihimäki Music College started its operation as the city's own operation on January 16.1.1961, XNUMX. The first year's subject selection included piano, violin and cello, clarinet and solo singing, as well as recitation as a specialty. The first principal of the college was Pentti Häkkinen.

Riihimäki music school's activities expanded and the range of instruments increased over the decades. While the college expanded strongly, it struggled, like other music schools, with financial challenges in the 1960s and 1970s. The music school initially operated in the premises of a civic school (Harjurinteen school), later in Allinna and since 1987 in its current location, in an old bank and library building at Valtakatu 10.

As the hobby of music expanded, the government was able to direct discretionary grants to music academies, and finally music academies came under statutory state funding in 1988. Ilari Laakso was the second long-term rector of Riihimäki music academy from 1980 to 1995. Lope's office was established in 1982, and an agreement was signed with Hausjärvi two years later. The activity was also supported by summer camp activities, which later developed into the independent Riihimäki summer concerts festival.

The music school also expanded in such a way that it took over the city's concert activities in the early 1990s. The Pelkkänä korvana concert series and the Triplum chamber music competition realized together with neighboring colleges, today known as the Kvartti review, were born.

Principal Sakari Hildén led the music college into a new era. Curriculum reforms changed and expanded music school activities with the goal of reaching more and more groups of people. Riihimäki's music college became an even more important musical culture collaboration in the city. The administrations of Riihimäki civic school, art school and music school were combined in 2014, and Sakari Hildén continued to lead this entity as principal. After Hildén retired in 2019, Anna Major took over as principal.

At the beginning of the 2020s, Riihimäki Music College is a nationally medium-sized music school, where a little less than 600 music enthusiasts and those aiming for a profession study. About a third of the college's students are early childhood music education students. You can take basic and advanced studies in 22 different instruments and play together in more than twenty different groups. Playing and singing lessons are supported by the subjects of music visualization and history, in which there are also a couple dozen groups.

Principals and deputy principals of the Music College:

• Pentti Häkkinen 1961
• Ilari Laakso 1980–1995
• Sauli Ruponen va. 1995–1996
• Sakari Hildén 1996–2014, joint principal of colleges 2014-2019
• Markku Hirvonen, Deputy Principal 2014–2019
• Anna Major, Principal of Basic Art Education and Liberal Arts 2019-2023
• Katariina Virtanen, assistant principal 2019–2021
• Minna Kajander, assistant principal 2021–

The history has also been compiled by Eija Koivisto, Merja Nousiainen, Sakari Hildén and Minna Kajander.