3 Rivers Kanteles/Jokilaaksojen kanteleyhtye is celebrating its twelvth anniversary in 2006. The group started while Jane Ilmola studied Sibelius Academy’s course in direction of traditional kantele in 1995 and 1996. By Christmas there were 16 performing members, all students in the Haapavesi school where Jane teaches music. By 1997 the group sized double to perform in Finland’s independence celebrations. After that the group has expanded to include other areas in the 3 Rivers Kantele Society and currently members return from a 200 mile radius to practice on weekends. The area of the three river valleys Kala-, Pyhä- ja Siikajokijoki near Finland’s geographical center is the home of their own traditional style and kantele society.
The repertoire has also expanded from the traditional style. The group currently strives to show the diversity of styles and repertoire for the many sizes of kantele, aiming to educate audiences that know very little about Finland, the kantele and its diverse possibilities. The same diverse introduction to kantele can be heard on their new CD.
The group performs as a large orchestra, even 40, as well as soloists, duos and other chamber ensembles, among them the Kalajokilaakso kanteleduo (national second place from 2001-2005), the younger duo Jaamarit (national first place 2001-2005), and the duo Sansaara . Some of the kanteles which they play have been awarded them in competitions and by the Finnish Cultural Fund. The ages of the performers are approximately 1/3 teenagers, 1/3 students and 1/3 adults already established in their occupations.
Both the members and their leader have studied under many kantele artists, ie. Toivo Alaspää, Ulla Honkonen, Anu Itäpelto, Eija Kankaanranta, Sari Kauranen, Sinikka ja Matti Kontio, Sinikka Langeland, Outi Linnaranta, Valdis Muktupavels, Antti Paakinaho, Eero Pitkälä, Martti Pokela, Minna Raskinen, Olga Shiskina,Vilma Timonen, Timo Väänänen, Samppa Uimonen ja Mervi Yli-Vainio, both traveling to the masters as well as bringing them to teach in Haapavesi in Pokela Academy. One member is studying folk music at professional college, three are directors of traditional kantele and two are directors of small kanteles. Group members have performed all over Finland as well as in Russia, Sweden, Norway, the U.S., Canada and Italy. They have also performed on television in kantele church services.
Group members have 22 medals from national kantele competitions, 16 from the Martti Pokela/Finnish masters competitions, 6 bronze kanteles, 1 golden kantele, two Haapavesi churns of culture and two special awards from the Martti Pokela/Finnish masters competitions (for creativity in composition and for bringing kantele into the European Union). They were named Finland’s first Ambassadors of Young Culture by the Finnish Ministry of Education, which has funded much of their touring in various countries.
Individuals who tour as Finland’s Young Culture Ambassadors
Jaakko Meriläinen, 18, is the only male. He’s in his last year of lyceum. Jaakko and Jaamarit have held the national first and third place title for different sizes of kantele for four years, receiving a 10-string kantele as part of the reward. He also has been awarded a bronze kantele and a silver kantele by the Kanteleliitto. In addition Jaakko has won Finnish masterships on both small and large kantele. He plays on a kantele donated to our evening classes in Jokihelmen Opisto by the Finnish Cultural Fund. Jaakko is one of the most active performers in our region and has played for 8 years. He plays by ear. Jaakko is interested in computers and track and field. Jaakko also plays the saw. Jaakko has performed in Russia, Sweden, Norway, the U.S., Canada, France, Holland and Bulgaria. Last summer he won second place in electric kantele and third place in traditional at the national competition in Jyväskylä.
Paula Kantola, 19, is our accordionist. She lives in Vantaa, near Helsinki. She has studied button accordion very successfully in a local music school for ten years. She has been a continual finalist in serious accordion competitions in Finland. In addition to serious repertoire on her melody bass accordion, she also plays more traditional music. One of her hobbies is playing accordion in the streets for bypassers, earning money. She is also an accomplished choral singer, having performed in Estonia, Sicily, Germany and Poland. Her other interests are handwork, art and architecture. She has also composed for us. You can hear a piece by Paula here while we perform it for the first time. Paula has toured with us in the U.S. and Bulgaria. She began studying to teach math last fall.
Päivi Ollikainen, 20, is our member from Oulainen, Haapavesi’s neighbour city city. Päivi is also an accomplished pianist and choral singer, who only later added kantele to her hobbies. She placed first on both small and large kanteles in the last Finnish masters competition. She was also awarded a bronze kantele there. She has been a student of Riikka Jaakola, a past member who toured with us twice and now teaches traditional kantele nearby. Päivi is studying at the Sibelius-Academy with kantele as her major. Päivi has performed on kantele in several countries while touring with her choir. Päivi has toured with us in the U.S., France and Bulgaria.
Saara Lakanen, 21, is a graduate from Haapavesi lyceum, among the first students to complete the school’s kantele courses when it specialized in kantele. She is one of the first of our musicians to hold the national title for four years and one of the first members of this group, having played kantele for nine years. Saara has performed in the U.S., Sweden, Norway, France and Bulgaria. Her hobbies are aerobics and Nordic walking. She is currently studying occupational therapy.
Sanna Hemminki, 22, has been Saara’s partner in the duo Sansaara for nine years. She has studied kantele as long as Saara but started on 5-string, which is still near her heart. She is a director of small kanteles. She has also been awarded a bronze kantele. She has first, second and third places from the Finnish masters competition. In a national solo competition she was encouraged to go professional, but she studied her calling to teach in elementary school and while student-teaching was constantly asked to hold kantele workshops for all the students in her schools. Sanna has performed in concerts and other official events at the university in Kajaani alone and as a duo with one of our former members, Satu Sipilä. Sanna’s hobbies have included acting and gymnastics. Sanna has performed in Sweden, Norway, the U.S., Canada, France and Bulgaria.
Anne-Maarit Hintikka is an adult member and a kindergarten teacher in Haapavesi. She has toured with us in Norway, Sweden, France and Bulgaria.
Maiju Mertala, 17,has performed with us in Finland for many years. She is in her second year of lyceum. Maiju and Jaakko play in a duo called Jaamarit, which won in the national competition in 2001 in Rääkkylä. She also has a lot of personal medals from soloist competitions in Haapavesi. Maiju finally toured with us in Bulgaria last summer. She is soloist on the coming electric kantele heavy CD.
Laura Pesonen is our youngest member, in her last year of grade school. She has some medals from soloist competitions in Haapavesi. Laura was with us in Bulgaria.
Maarit Murtomäki is another newer adult member who plays accordion and sings with us.
Maria Suihkonen, 17, is our percussionist who also sings. She has studied drums with Jane for a long time. She is studying both in trade school and lyceum.
Anne Kukkura, 16, is our other singing percussionist, who also studies drums with Jane. She is studying to be a media assistent and helps us with audiovisuals.
Bulgaria 2007
for 2001 tour Vesanto church, 2000
National competition in Haapavesi 1997, the winner Mieluskannel
soon after winning the national competition in 1997
December 1996