Sibafest 2012

Sibafest is the flagship of the Sibelius Academy concert events.Arranged every two years, the nine-day festival is a cocktail of concerts, drama, and lectures, with 50–60 separate events.The programme is a cross-section of the work done at Sibelius Academy, and most of it is provided by the Sibelius Academy students, teachers, and alumni.Each previous festival has comprised approximately 500 performers.

The attendance has continued to rise since the first Sibafest, which was arranged in 2006.The 2010 Sibafest saw an audience of over 8 000.

The previous artistic Sibafest directors include Professor Markus Lehtinen, also a conductor; Kirmo Lintinen, a composer and conductor; and Professor Martti Rousi, also known as a cellist.The 2012 artistic director is accordionist Maria Kalaniemi.