What happens behind the scenes of the RSO? – A new documentary series follows the everyday life of a top orchestra up close

‘I don’t really like to reminisce about auditions, because it’s such an extreme experience. I don’t even want to think about it.”

The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra is an institution that is almost a hundred years old and works seamlessly like a top-tuned machine. The award-winning orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) has 99 permanent world-class musicians – but who are they?

Six-part documentary series 99 selected – Behind the scenes of a top orchestra follows the orchestra’s closed work community. The series does not embellish, but shows the everyday challenges of orchestral musicians and life outside of music. How to combine everyday life with children and orchestral glamour? What if my physique starts to fail? How do you cope as a violinist when you are threatened with burnout?

“This is the angle of symphony orchestras that has not been described before”

99 selected will each have their own joys and pain points in the midst of everyday life.

French horn József Hárs believed as a child that he could play the horn better than others and is now practicing while watching Pasila. Violinist Eeva Haapamäki considers it a victory when the youngest no longer starts crying when mom is practicing. Percussionist Jerry Piipponen gets the same emotions from training for triathlon as from playing.

2. violin leader Emma Mali has achieved a lot as a young musician, but still suffers from imposter syndrome and struggles with coping.

A career in a symphony orchestra is mentally and physically demanding. Fortunately, the orchestra is a community that supports and supports its members. Situational humour is strongly present in the musicians’ lives.

The series also follows the intendant’s change of power. Retiring General Manager Tuula Sarotie worked with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra for twenty years. Now Maris Gothoni, to whom Sarotie aims to transfer their knowledge accumulated from years of experience. What is it like to give up a job that you have given your all to?

People come and go, but the orchestra remains. RSO changes with the times, but is it still too conservative in some respects? Is there room for different opinions?

99 selected series is directed by Niina Mäkeläinen and Peter Wallenius and produced by Kati Juurus.

“The idea was to follow the musicians of the symphony orchestra closely. The series is not music journalism, but a documentary about highly talented people in the most coveted workplace in the Finnish music world. From this point of view, symphony orchestras have not been described before,” says Niina Mäkeläinen.

According to Peter Wallenius, it was particularly interesting to look at RSO as a work community: “It was interesting to follow everyday life at a workplace that is on the one hand very special and different – And on the other hand, the employees there have the same problems and reasons to be happy as in any other job.”

People are always imperfect. But the playing must be perfect.

99 selected – Behind the Scenes of the Top Orchestra will be released in its entirety on Yle Areena on 24 November and will be broadcast on Yle Teema from 27 November and on Yle TV1 from 30 November.

Further information:

• Kati Juurus producer, Yle kati.juurus@yle.fi
• Maria Muranen, Communications Specialist, Yle maria.muranen@yle.fi