CHAMBER CHOIR CANTINOVUM

Chamber Choir Cantinovum (established in 1989) is the youthful and ambitious choir of the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences. Their name originates from the Latin words 'canti' and novum'. Together these words become the identity of the choir and mean 'new song'. At present, there are approximately 30 singers in the choir for whom music is a passionate interest – for many it is also a future profession. Many of the singers either study or work at the the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences or at the University of Jyväskylä.

The repertoire of Cantinovum is colorful and interesting. It spans from folk music to sacred music and from Renaissance to modern composers. It is very characteristic of Cantinovum to perform songs that have been specially composed for them. They have had the honour of premiering more than a dozen compositions both nationally and internationally. Some of the composers include: Jussi Chydenius, Jan Hellberg, Juha Holma, Heikki Korhonen, Ilkka Kuusisto, Mia Makaroff, Liisa Matveinen, Sandra Milliken, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, Robert A. M. Ross and Hreidar Ingi Thorsteisson. In addition to a cappella singing, Cantinovum has worked with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia. 

The choir aims for the highest of artistic levels, while continuously developing repertoire and practicing enthusiastically to enhance their rich tone. Their excellence is noted through the awards they have received. Cantinovum won second prize in the Athens International Choir Festival of 1994 and the National Klemetti Choir Competition of 1996. In 1999, Cantinovum won first prize at the International Choir Contest of Flanders, Belgium and in 2003, Cantinovum was presented a diploma with two golden stamps from the Tampere Vocal Music Festival’s Chorus Review. More recently the choir toured the USA during the summer of 2005, swept all the first place prizes in Slovakia at the Banska Bystrica Academy Choir Competition during May of 2009 and in August, 2010 attended the Nordic Baltic Choir Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland on behalf of Finland and The Finnish Amateur Musicians' Association, Sulasol. In 2012, the choir did a concert tour in Germany. Other countries they have performed in are Spain, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Cantinovum has published three albums: Commissioned by Cantinovum (2000), Lauloa minä lupasin (2006) and Suven henki (2012). The first album contains new choral music commissioned by Cantinovum. The second album contains the two commisioned works Älä lapsi paljon laula and Lauloa minä lupasin which were originally commissioned for the choirs 2005 trip to the USA as well as other music. New music can also be heard on the latest album which contains three commissioned works and four previously unrecorded pieces. All albums can be ordered from this site.

Cantinovum in December 2007. Photo: Sanna Patja