Dead | Tuomas Haapanen, the father of Finnish violin art, has died at the age of 99

Probably thousands of violinists in Finland and abroad will remember the important violin pedagogue and music influencer on Tuesday when practicing and giving concerts.

There is nostalgia, because a war veteran, pedagogue of top violinists, long-time rector of the Sibelius Academy and an internationally respected musical influencer Tuomas Haapanen died on Monday, January 9, aged 99.

His son confirmed the matter to Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday.

Hapanen gave sharp and measured interviews to, for example, Helsingin Sanomat last year in connection with the Sibelius violin competition. He had time to listen to every competition performance from 1965 to last year's final.

“The best competitors have been good from the beginning, but the general level is now absolutely dizzying. The background is the worldwide rise of virtuosity. There were dozens of great virtuosos now,” he said.

However, virtuosity alone is not enough.

“A brilliant virtuoso can do great stupid things in music. There are always those in the crowd who play tricks and not music,” he scolded

Haapanen could not tolerate make-up or external remedies. He trained servants of music, not worshipers of his own ego.

“I have a very solid idea of ​​how to present music so that it is authentic. The performance must give the listener the impression that the music is exactly like how it sounds now,” he said In an interview with HS in 2021.

Haapasen students have been, for example Pekka and Jaakko Kuusistoa professor Réka Szilvaya professor Elina Vähäläconcertmaster of the Paris Opera Petteri Iivonen and hundreds of other violinists.

At the Sibelius Academy, in addition to being a professor, he served as the director of the entire department. In international music competitions, he was often the chairman of the jury, starting with the Sibelius violin competition, and also developed voting practices to reduce jury games.

Pietari Inkinen, who won fourth prize in the Sibelius violin competition, receives congratulations from Tuomas Haapase in December 2000. Picture: Juhani Niiranen / HS

Tuomas Haapanen was born in Helsinki on December 29, 1924, the early conductor of the Radio Orchestra Toivo Haapanen to the family. He started at the piano and regretted that the violin playing started a little too late considering the greatest virtuosity.

Studies were also interrupted by the war. Haapanen trained as a bomber pilot and had time to participate in the war in Lapland.

The best Finnish teachers in the field and a French one by Léon Nauwinck with his lessons, Haapanen rose to the top of Finnish violinists of his generation. He gave his first concert in 1948.

In the following years, he was one of the few Finnish violinists who were repeatedly asked for soloist positions around the world. Others were, for example Anja Ignatius and a year younger than Haapa Tribe Harm.

In addition to his soloist duties, Haapanen worked in the Radio Symphony Orchestra as first violinist and concertmaster 1953–62. An important lifeline was also the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra, where the leaders of the generation gathered SpongeBob Berglund under.

Gradually, pedagogy filled life. Haapanen was the main violin teacher of Turku Conservatory 1962–1978 and rector 1966–78. He was professor of violin at the Sibelius Academy from 1978–90 and rector from 1987–90.

Violinist, professor Tuomas Haapanen in 1987. Picture: Christian Westerback / HS

As an old marathon runner, Haapase had an iron condition and in the 2021 interview, she still read small font text without difficulty without reading glasses.

Thanks to his good health, he continued his pedagogical work until almost the end. The last trip to the hospital didn't start until mid-December.

He also had time to finish the memoir A century at the heart of music lifethe publication of which will be decided later.

Correction 9/1/2024 at 19:55: Corrected in the caption Pietari Inkinen's ranking in the 2000 Sibelius violin competition. Instead of winning, he got 4th prize.