Jokinen (before World War I) and Frank Merisuo (1926) deserve mention as popular singers, and in 1907 O. W. Perm had already appeared as a more serious artist, as did 12-year old Signe Rintala, who toured Minnesota in 1925, with her father as accompanist. Violinists have been several: Maria Koivu, Jalmar Sahlman, Urho Suksi, and Ernest Paananen, with the latter undertaking several concert tours in the state. Among pianists there were William Stein and Martti Nisonen. The latter has also made several appearances in Minnesota as director of the Suomi Opisto choir, which has performed on numerous occasions in Duluth.

Visiting musical ensembles have been fewer in number. Omitting from consideration the visits of bands from neighboring states, the only other band to appear has been the Red Lodge Military Band, in 1908, under the direction of George Wahlström, in a tour arranged by Ephraim Laakkonen. Dance bands have been greater in number, and the group formed by Antti Kosola and John Rosendahl appeared in many towns on their first tour in 1923. When Kosola left, Rosendahl continued the band, with Viola Turpeinen, accordionist, as soloist in subsequent tours. Miss Turpeinen later married cornetist William Syrjälä of Cloquet, and they formed the well-known Turpeinen-Syrjälä orchestra which used to play in New York during the winter months and spent its summers on tour in Minnesota.

In closing, be it mentioned that Hemming Hautala, who had been well-known as a conductor of choral groups and orchestras, operated a music store in Duluth.

Dramatics Groups : If instrumental music is the most international of arts, Finnish music has been presented to everyone who has had the ears to hear. Song has been hardly less international in appeal, regardless of the language of the lyrics. But with drama the language itself has been a major factor, and almost without exception, all the plays acted in all the many Finnish halls in Minnesota have been in Finnish. The Finns have always been a nation of actors. Other nations may rank ahead of Finland in the relative number of professional theaters and the artistic quality of their performances, but if drama is extended to include amateur theatricals, then the Finns rank at the top. And this tradition was one which came to America with the Finnish immigrants, and even in such centers of Finnish settlement where no other joint activities gained a foothold, they at least banded together long enough to rehearse a short play or two.

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