Academician of Arts title goes to Peltola, Saariaho, Vaara

President Sauli Niinistö has awarded the title of Academician of Arts to playwright, theatre director, dramaturge Sirkku Peltola, composer Kaija Saariaho and performance artist Roi Vaara, said the Ministry of Education and Culture in a press release on Thursday.

The honorary title will be awarded at a ceremony to be held in Helsinki in this month.

On proposal of the Arts Council, the President grants the title of academician to a distinguished artist.

The title is lifelong and does not entail a salary. There may be 11 Academicians of Arts at any one time.

The current ones are media artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila, photographer Carl-Johan (Caj) Bremer, film director Pirjo Honkasalo, dance artist Marjo Kuusela, architect Juha Leiviskä, author Hannu Mäkelä, Textile and Fashion Designer Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi and conductor Jorma Panula.

Sirkku Peltola (born in 1960, Kangasala) is a playwright whose work is frequently put on stage and who is also a highly renowned theatre director.

Kaija Saariaho (born in 1952) is one of the most internationally successful Finnish artists.

Roi Vaara (born in 1953 in Moss, Norway) is an internationally respected pioneer of the performance arts who has contributed to the visibility of the field in Finland since the 1980s.

Following the deaths of academicians Kirsi Kunnas-Syrjä, Ralf Långbacka and Outi Heiskanen, the title of academician is now held by eight distinguished artists.