For 140 years, the YL Male Voice Choir has been a Finnish pioneer of male choir music. Founded in 1883, YL is Finland's best-known male voice choir and a national institution - and as the oldest Finnish-language choir, an integral part of Finnish history. Throughout history of Finland, the YL has always premiered and recorded works by important Finnish composers.

In particular, the YL Male Voice Choir is known as the ambassador of Jean Sibelius' music, as the most famous male choral works by Sibelius were commissioned by the YL. In autumn 2024, the YL performed Sibelius' Kullervo in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra at their opening concert of the autumn season. The concert was a critically acclaimed, and it was the wish of all parties that the collaboration would continue at the Mikkeli Music Festival on 7 August 2025. YL has performed Kullervo earlier also with the Minnesota Orchestra in 2016.  The New York Times rated this performance conducted by Osmo Vänskän as one of the highlights of the year in classical music.

The YL Male Voice Choir's activities are diverse and ever-changing. The focus is always on high quality music - both with beloved choral classics as well as with experimenting on something new. An open-minded approach and a desire to take the art of male voice choir singing forward characterise everything the YL does. In addition to its wide range of a cappella repertoire, the YL performs and records works for male voice and symphony orchestra with some of the world's leading conductors.

Award-winning recordings and tireless concerts abroad have made YL a world-renowned and recognised male voice choir. At the same time, the YL has made Finnish choral music part of the international classical music canon. Today, YL is happy to break the mould of choral music with genre-bending combinations of soloists and musicians.

Naturally, the YL also cherishes its best traditions. Many of the YL's traditional concerts, such as the Christmas concerts that have been organised since the 1970s, are important traditions for the Finnish public. Whether the audience is the packed Helsinki Music Hall or Carnegie Hall, the Empress of Japan, the President of Finland or a grandmother celebrating her birthday, it is an equal pleasure for the YL Male Voice Choir to perform. The most important factor is that our audiences can enjoy quality music and unforgettable experiences.

The artistic director of the YL Male Voice Choir is Master of Music Pasi Hyökki.

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