Finlandia-Ajo (approximately: "The Finlandia Race") is an annual Group One harness event that takes place at Vermo Racetrack in Helsinki, Finland.
Finlandia Prize | Finlandia | MS ''Finlandia'' | MS Finlandia | Pro Patria Finlandia | Finlandia Hall | Finlandia-Ajo |
Among the wins in the spring of 1994 was Sweden's biggest event Elitloppet at Solvalla, as well as Finnish major race Finlandia-Ajo and Norway's Oslo Grand Prix.
The program of the opening concert included various performances by the students of Sibelius Academy, Sibelius's Tapiola and songs performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic (conductor John Storgårds) and soprano Soile Isokoski, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (conductor Sakari Oramo), and Sibelius's Finlandia performed by a jointly by both orchestras and the choir of Sibelius Academy (conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste).
Following the delivery of the highly successful MS Finlandia and MS Silvia Regina for Silja Line's Helsinki–Stockholm service, Johnson Line and Effoa decided to order a pair of ships based on a similar design for the Turku–Stockholm service.
The KORK has recorded commercially for labels including Pro Musica, Bridge Records, and Finlandia.
For example, Jean Sibelius' Finlandia has been interpreted to represent the rising nation of Finland, which would someday gain independence from Russian control (Child 2006).
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji wrote of this piece in 1932 that it was familiar ... — too familiar one is tempted to say, for most people think of Alkan, indeed only know him, as the composer of ‘Le Vent’, as they know only the Sibelius of the ‘Valse Triste’ or ‘Finlandia’; the great master of ‘Le festin d'Ésope’ and the Fourth Symphony respectively being completely a terra incognita.