Helvi Leiviskä

Helvi Lemmikki Leiviskä (25 May 1902 – 12 August 1982) was a Finnish composer, writer, music educator, and librarian at the Sibelius Academy.

Life

Helvi Leiviskä was born in 1902 in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, and in 1927 graduated in composition from the Helsinki Music Institute (now the Sibelius Academy), where she studied with the Finnish composer Erkki Melartin. She continued her studies in Vienna, and then returned to Finland where she studied with the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja.

Selected works Piano Concerto, 1935 Triple Fugue for Orchestra, 1938 Symphony No. 1, 1947 Symphony No. 2, 1954 Symphony No. 3, 1971 Sinfonia Brevis, 1962 Folk Dance Suite (Kansantanssisarja), 1934 Hobgoblin of Darkness (Pimeän peikko), 1942 The Lost Continent (Mennyt manner) for choir and orchestra, 1957 Juha (film music), 1937 Violin Sonata, 1945 Piano Quartet, 1926

Discography Helvi Leiviskä: Violin Sonata / Piano Quartet / Symphony No. 3. Finlandia Classics. (FINCLA-1, 2012). [historical recordings from Finnish Radio, 1950s–1970s] Helvi Leiviskä: Piano Concerto / Symphony No 1. , Staatskapelle Weimar, and (piano). Hänssler Classic (HC23050, 2023). Helvi Leiviskä: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1: Sinfonia brevis / Suite for Orchestra No. 2 / Symphony No. 2. Dalia Stasevska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. BIS (BIS 2701, 2023).

Awards Pro Finlandia Medal, 1962