The Polytech Orchestra

Waputin Concert Ball Wed 1.5.2024 5pm

Glo Hotel Art, Lönnrotinkatu 29 Helsinki

The slogan of Waputing has been already for a while "1st of May is a celebration for many, but only Waputin makes the celebration into an event!"

Waputin is a very traditional musical entertainment with an annually changing theme. It has been held since 1928, most often in the old technology student association building on Lönnrotinkatu (nowadays a hotel). The event starts with a concert that can't be called too serious: during the latest years the soloists have played e.g. a "hand trumpet", pan flute, and a vacuum cleaner. After the artsy part we move on to dancing both to classical and less classical music.

Program
Humouristic concert with an annually changing theme
Dancing accompanied by the Polytech Orchestra, the Polytech Salon Orchestra, and Retuperän WBK
Conducted by James Kahane

The Waputin ticket (unfortunately normally only in Finnish) is a funny magazine that offers laughts before, after, and during the concert. The first magazne was published already in the 1920s and thus it can also be called the first technology student's 1st of May magazine.

The Polytech Orchestra, founded in 1922, is a student symphony orchestra from Espoo, Finland. The orchestra works in co-operation with Aalto University Student Union (AYY). Most of the approximately one hundred members are students and alumni from Aalto University, but there are also students from other universities and schools from the greater Helsinki area. The orchestra is conducted by James Kahane.

The main events of the year are the autumn and spring concerts in Helsinki area along with the spring tour that is typically headed to different parts of Finland. The orchestra has also given concerts abroad, for instance in Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Estonia, and Scotland. On every 1st of May, the yearly student festival in Finland, the Polytech Orchestra arranges the Waputin concert with both music and dancing. Waputin concert is arranged in a humorous way around a yearly-changing theme so that the audience can enjoy both music performances and the joy of waltz and other dances.

The Polytech Orchestra takes new members twice a year: in the beginning of September and January.