A classical music concert series that brought live performances to Central Finland for fifteen years is closing. The Soiva Keski-Suomi program will hold its final concert on Friday, November 7 at 6 PM. Ensemble Gamut will perform at the Hannikaissali stage in Jyväskylä.
Artistic director Sirpa Berg said continuing the series has become financially impossible. Funding has dropped to minimal levels. One reason involves the program's cooperation with a music campus.
Funders do not want to support projects involving educational institutions, Berg explained in a statement. This policy has made securing financial backing increasingly difficult.
Audience support remained strong throughout the series. Concerts typically attracted about 50 attendees per performance. Musicians remained eager to participate despite the financial challenges.
The situation highlights how cultural programs in smaller Finnish regions struggle when public funding priorities shift. Even popular events with steady audiences can disappear when institutional support withdraws.
Jyväskylä is a central Finnish city known for its strong educational and cultural institutions. The loss of this long-running concert series represents a notable reduction in the region's classical music offerings.
Local music lovers have one final opportunity to experience the program this Friday evening. Ensemble Gamut's performance will mark the end of fifteen years of classical concerts in Central Finland.