Loppi Youth Choir

Loppi Youth Choir

Loppi, Finland

Loppi with its 7500 inhabitants lies in southern Finland about 80 km north of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Loppi Children´s Choir was founded in 1974 as a class at the Civic Institute in Loppi. In 1976 it was divided into two parts, Loppi Children´s Coir and Loppi Youth Choir. During its first ten years Loppi Youth Choir became one of the best known youth choirs in Finland. Under the leadership of Mr. Pekka Perko the choir has succesfully participated in many Finnish choral events and competitions. In the IX International Choir Festival in the Hague, Holland, in 1983 Loppi Youth Choir was awarded the second prize in the section for youth choirs. In 1984 in the choir contest of the Finnish Choral Festival for the Choral Centenary, arranged by the Finnish Broadcastin Company, Loppi Youth Choir won the first prize in the section for youth choirs, which the jury, with prof. Erkki Pohjola as chairman , considered to be of the highest level in the whole competition. 

The repertoire of Loppi Youth Choir consist of both traditional choir music and modern finnish choir compositions from such composers as Bengt Johansson, Jukka Kankainen, Pekka Kostiainen, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Aulis Sallinen and Harri Wessman.

Loppi Youth Choir has made consert tours to many european countries and to Canada. The choir sings on 6 LP-recordings in 1977, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1989, and on 3 cd-recordings in 1990 , 1996 and 1999. 

The Loppi Youth Choir was founded by Mr. Pekka Perko and he conducted it from 1976 to1995. In 1987 the young ladies´ choir Timotei was founded out of the most advanced singers of the Loppi Youth Choir. Timotei is conducted by Mr. Pekka Perko.