Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat (Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra) was founded in 1926 as a sub-organization of the Student Union HYY. On the eight of July 1970 the orchestra was officially registered and became an independent corporation. Throughout its history, the YS has carried on the traditions of the University and its students. Both the YS and its forerunner, the Academic Orchestra, have played an important part in the development of Finnish cultural and musical life.
Among the past conductors of the YS are such names as Toivo Haapanen, Jussi Jalas, Erik Cronvall (whose appointment lasted all of twenty years), Leif Segerstam, Kari Tikka, Ilpo Mansnerus, Ylermi Poijärvi, Alf Nybo, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Petri Sakari, Markus Lehtinen, Tuomas Pirilä, Michael Adelson, John Storgårds, Tuomas Rousi and Jyri Nissilä. The present conductor is David Searle. Our past vice-conductors include Taneli Kuusisto, Einari Marvia, Paavo Berglund, Tuomas Haapanen, Okko Kamu, Pertti Pekkanen and Susanna Mälkki.
The members of the YS are mainly university students who do not study music professionally. Nevertheless, the orchestra's repertoire consists of masterworks of symphonic literature. Over the last few years, the YS have performed Nielsen's Fourth, Sibelius' Second, Fourth and Fifth Symphonies, Brahms' First, Schubert's Ninth, Tcaikovsky's Sixth, Prokofiev's Fifth and Mahler's Fourth Symphony. The orchestra has not neglected modern masterworks, either: its concerts have featured compositions by Witold Lutoslawski, György Ligeti, Erik Bergman and Hannu Pohjannoro.
The orchestra usually gives concerts both in the autumn and in the spring, as well as the usual May Day Ball and other events. The orchestra also goes on tours, financial state permitting. In May 1998, the YS made a tour in Netherlands and Germany (Amsterdam - Enschede - Bielefeld), and in May 2001 in Italy (Bologna - Forlí). In 2004 they visited Austria and Hungary.The activities of the YS include a salon orchestra, an ensemble of ten to fifteen players that performs light classical and dance music at events of all kinds, as well as chamber music ensembles such as string quartets and a wind trio.
The orchestra takes in new members in annual auditions in September and, if necessary, during the semester. The orchestra communicates orally (during rehearsals), by e-mail and a members-only web site. The password can be obtained from chairman or from webmaster.