Past Performers of the Year
Ida Metsberg, POY 2023
AS POY 2023, singer/songwriter Ida Metsberg traveled the U.S. with her guitar, sharing her original, moving lyrics and music, Finnish tunes, and her wry sense of humor.
Click on the image at left to learn a bit about the Finnish talent who now calls New York City home. Learn more at her website: idaofficial.com
Click on each past POY for more information about the artist. Some have expressed interest in appearing at FFN chapters. The information provided here is for the convenience of the chapters and their program planners. FFN offers no financial or other assistance in hosting a past POY. All booking arrangements and agreements are strictly between the host chapter and the talent.
Eeppi Ursin
2022
FFN has selected award-winning jazz vocalist Eeppi Ursin as Performer of the Year 2022. Eeppi sings in English and Finnish, and accompanies herself on piano.
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Kent Washburn
2020-2021
Kent has in his repertoire a host of Finnish musical experiences. The wide range of Finnish orchestral music that he transcribed for organ includes traditional folk music, patriotic marches and songs.
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Juli Wood
2018-2019
Jazz saxophonist Juli Wood was in great demand as FFN Performer of the Year, traveling across the country and even to Anchorage, Alaska during her term as POY, which began in September of 2018.
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Pirjo Polari-Khan
2016-2017
Pirjo is an entertaining storyteller who will share her poetry, songs and humor with the young and young at heart at FFN chapters across the U.S.
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Sara Pajunen
2015
Finlandia Foundation National named violinist and composer Sara Pajunen of Minnesota as 2015 Performer of the Year (POY).
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Olli Hirvonen
2014
Finlandia Foundation National named Olli Hirvonen, a Finnish jazz guitarist living in New York City, Performer of the Year (POY) for 2014-15.
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Marja Kaisla
2013
Pianist Marja Kaisla of Philadelphia was FFN Performer of the Year for 2013 through August of 2014.
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Maria Kizirian Voltaine
2012
Maria is a Finnish-American pop singer/songwriter/producer and multi-instrumentalist. She started playing violin at the age of 4, piano at 8, and finally, singing in her early teens.
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Wilho Saari
2011
The tradition bearer of the Finnish Kantle, Naselle, Washington can trace the love of kantele playing back five generations in his family.
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Finn Hall
2010
Finn Hall is a group of musicians from Oakdale, Minnesota, dedicated to preserving and performing the feel and sounds of the old Finn Halls.
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Terhi Miikki-Broersma
2009
Ms. Miikki-Boersma is a multi-talented musician from Lyndon, Washington, who earned a Master’s Degree in Music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and worked full-time as a cantor-organist before moving to the United States.
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Bert Stromholm & Brent Buswell
2008
Bert Stromholm of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, is an exceptionally talented accordion player and entertainer and has been performing and playing dances since his youth either alone or as a member of various bands. Brent Buswell of Donegal, Pennsylvania, graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in professional music.
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Maria Männistö
2007
Maria Männistö of Bellevue, Washington, is commended as one of the finest young sopranos in the Pacific Northwest with versatility in different styles ranging from medieval chant to jazz and rock-n-roll.
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Craig Randal Johnson
1999
The Minneapolis musician’s program, “Piano Music from Finland,” features the works of significant Finnish composers from the national romantic period to the present. Johnson includes, among others, the music of Sibelius, Madetoja, Kuula, Rautavaara, Bergman and Tuhkala. He closes with Finlandia.
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Merja Soria
1996
Merja Soria was the inaugural artist in the FFN Performer of the Year touring program. The Finnish native received a Masters Degree in Music at Sibelius Academy, and taught Finnish music at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego.
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