Kaartin soittokunta

Based in Helsinki, Kaartin soittokunta, also internationally presented under the name The Guards Band, is the representation ensemble of the Presidency of the Republic of Finland and the Finnish Defence Forces. This professional wind orchestra, consisting of a little over forty musicians, forms part of a continuous history dating back to 1819, which makes it the oldest professional orchestral ensemble in the country still active. Its repertoire primarily encompasses wind music, marches, and military ceremonial, but Kaartin soittokunta also works on the symphonic concert for wind ensemble, chamber music, and lighter formats depending on its various ensembles. The ensemble performs in Finland in official contexts as well as in concert halls, and regularly represents the country abroad during concerts and marching performances in formation. Over its history, Kaartin soittokunta has borne several names linked to Finnish military reorganisations, while maintaining a central role in the wind tradition in Finland. Among its variants are notably a large wind orchestra, chamber ensembles, and Kaartin Seitsikko, a brass formation with which the album Rauhan ajan marssit appeared in 2011 with Jukka Perko. Today, Kaartin soittokunta continues this dual activity of state protocol and dissemination of the wind repertoire under the direction of Finnish military conductors.