WELCOME TO DOM KANTELE! Dear guest, we’re very glad to greet you at our Web site called “Dom Kantele” (“The Kantele House”)! Our House is just being built but even now we are flinging our door wide open for everyone. And we do hope that you won’t regret coming!

A two-storey building (in the 19th century it was a girls’ gymnasium) isn’t too big for the staff of 110 persons. But… the more, the merrier! Our “Kantele House” is filled with energy – every inhabitant of the House has his own mission and does his own important and responsible work. As the metaphor says, one – with a hammer, another – at the bench, the third – at the computer, the fourth – at the piano...

You may ask:
— Who lives in your House?
— A big and a very friendly, hospitable family called “The Kantele ensemble”.
You are interested in what do our inhabitants do?
— Well, here is the answer. We are state concert organization. And it means that the basis of our activity are concert performances with preceding hard and long-lasting work. Could you imagine what great efforts we make to create an inspired, memorable and spectacular performance of high quality!

That’s why from morning till night our House looks like a hive of activity. Our ballet is learning a new dance, our female vocal group “Aino” is mastering songs in foreign languages, our Youth studio is preparing performances for municipal schools, a new musical instrument is being produced in our Instrument Workshop, our National Costume Workshop is working at national costumes, our Recording studio is finalizing the release of a new album… In other words every day of our Kantele’s life is full of warmth, creation, mutual respect and love.

— Do you know what our House looks like?
Imagine a child’s picture – the foundation, two walls, and the tiled roof with the chimney... Our “foundation” is Karelian national song and dance traditions. One “wall” is the remarkable history of our ensemble and of people who worked and has been working here from the very beginning, the second “wall” is today’s life of the Kantele House with all innovations. And “the roof” is the financial support which provides our House with warmth, light and cosiness.

Being a state-owned institution we’re certainly getting funds to our living from the state budget. However, we’re also learning to earn money ourselves. In the Kantele House we have the Advertising and publishing department which is being developed high speed nowadays. Our Touring and performing department has begun to work and owing to this fact the ensemble has been able to go on tour. It was the first time for recent years!

We do realize that today it’s necessary to work in prospect – we have many projects, we win grants, in other words, we have something to be proud of. You can make sure yourself – just have a look at this list:
– the grant of the head of the government of Karelia given to the project “Dom Kantele”;
– the grant of the President of the Russian Federation given to the realization of a subproject “The Kantele Instrument Workshop”;
– the grant of the International Charity Fund named after D. Likachev given for updating and development Kantele’s web site – where we’ve met with you! – and for the release of the catalogue dedicated to masters of musical instruments;
– grant funds given to the publication of an art album “Kantele. Rhythms of fortune”. You may get acquainted with it in our Souvenir shop.
It’s quite true that we have been able to do many things in many respects with these additional financial funds. However, the most valuable thing in any house is its inhabitants! All inhabitants of the Kantele House are yearning to make it better because we are sure that if you want the whole world to be in order, you must begin with your own house!