Biography
Heikki Liimola completed a degree in choir conducting and the trumpet at the Sibelius Academy in 1985, and graduated with a master’s degree in music in 1988. He studied conducting under Jorma Panula, and singing under Yrjö Nykänen and Anssi Hirvonen. He has also studied choir conducting in Sweden under Eric Ericson.
Heikki Liimola has taught choir conducting at the Kuopio section of the Sibelius Academy since 1995. He has taught at the summer school of the Klemetti College since 1988. In 1992-93 and 1994-95 he was head of choir conducting at the Sibelius Academy. He has directed the Harjun Nuortenkuoro Choir - later called the Harju Chamber Choir - since 1977, the Student Association Singers of Southern Finland 1986-90, the Finnish Church Choir 1987-90, the Finnish Cantor Choir 1989-98, and the former Opera Festival Choir of Savonlinna 1991-95. Since 1990 he has been the choirmaster of the Tampere Opera Choir, and from 1989 the artistic director of the Tampere Sävel Choir Festival. He has been the choirmaster of the Tampere Philharmonic Choir since its establishment in 1990. The Finnish Choirmasters voted Heikki Liimola Choirmaster of the Year in 1998.