Dr. Päivi Kukkamäki
The Founder of the Suzuki Voice Program
Dr. Kukkamäki is the founder of the Suzuki Voice Program, which she started in 1986 in Vantaa Finland on a request of Dr. Shinichi and Waltraud Suzuki. She holds a Doctor of Music Degree from Sibelius University and the highest degree in Vocal performance. Her teachers have been opera singers Jorma Hynninen, Raili Kostia and Birgit Nilsson. She studied Suzuki method in Japan at Matsumoto Talent Education Institute in 1986. She personally knew Dr. Shinichi Suzuki for 12 years and Mrs. Waltraud Suzuki for 14 years.
Dr. Kukkamäki’s doctoral work at Sibelius University (1986—2003) was ‘Laulun myötä kasvuun – Laulusuzukimenetelmän kehittämisprojekti’ (2003) [‘Growing Through Singing – Development Project of Suzuki Voice’]. The Suzuki Voice Program enables a student to start listening to songs during pregnancy and continue singing until adulthood. ‘Suzuki Voice Program’ was approved by the International Suzuki Association in 2003 (early called in English ‘Suzuki Singing’ and ‘Singing in the Suzuki Style’). She is the author of Volume 1, Volume 2 together with Mette Heikkinen and Volume 3. Suzuki Voice School Volume 1 was published by Alfred Publication in 2022.
Dr. Kukkamäki formed the ISA Voice Committee in 2004. She is a registered Suzuki Voice Teacher Trainer of the ESA since 1991. She was a SAA Suzuki Voice Teacher Trainer in 2005—2018, a chairperson of the ISA Voice Committee between 2004—2018 and a chairperson of ESA Voice Committee until 2018. Dr. Kukkamäki has given lectures, workshops and/or teacher training in 22 countries in Asia, in Australia, in Europe, in Latin-America and in the USA. She has directed 28 Concert/Conference tours with her own Suzuki Voice students to 18 different countries. Since the age of three, Kukkamäki sang for nine years in Finnish Television Children's Programs. She is the mother of three boys and one girl. Her daughter is an opera singer in Vienna, Austria.
Dr. Kukkamäki has given lectures, workshops and/or teacher training over 50 conferences. In Australia 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2012; in Argentina 2009; in France 2000; in England 1988; in Spain 2000 and 2016; in Ireland 1995; Iceland 1992; in Italy 1997 and 2006; in Japan 1986, 1989, 1993, 1999 and 2013; in Korea 1993; in Peru 1993 and 2000; In Poland 2011, in Singapore 1989; in Sweden 1988; in German 1987; in Scotland 1990; in Switzerland 2015 and in the USA 1990, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014 and 2016. Usually, her students with families have travelled and demonstrated the Suzuki Voice Program with her.
Dr. Kukkamäki has directed 13 major productions with Suzuki Voice students: 4 operas, 3 musicals, 5 music theater and 1 movie. The new Finnish children's opera "ROOPE" specially composed to Suzuki Voice students by Timo-Juhani Kyllönen was performed in 2007. Dr. Kukkamäki’s other productions with Suzuki Voice students have been ‘Bug -opera / Toukka-ooppera’ with children of different ages including 24 babies (1988), Engelbert Humberdinck "Hänsel und Gretel" -opera in German (2002), Richard Rodgers "The Sound of Music" in English (2003—2004), Xavier Montsalvatge "El Gato con Botas" in Spanish (2004—2005), "Cavalcade of Musicals" (2005), Frank Churchill "Snow White" in English (2008), Erkki Melartin "Sleeping Beauty" in Finnish (2009—2010), Petra Kukkamäki "Christmas story" (2011, 2018) and the new Children's Musical "Snow-White and Rose-Red" (2012—2015) composed by Kimmo Ruotsala to Suzuki Voice students, Paula and Heikki Mäenpää 100 Anniversary story “The Song of Finland" (2017), Petra Kukkamäki Christmas movie “Disaster in Korvatunturi" (2018—2019) and Engelbert Humberdinck "Hänsel und Gretel"-opera in German (2021).
Publications / Model-Hangar Oy / Dr. Päivi Kukkamäki: 17 tapes/CDs (1987—2017), one video/DVD ‘Suzuki Singing in Finland’ (1991), three published researches (1983, 2001, 2003), four song books (1988—2012), two books ‘Laulun myötä kasvuun’ in Finnish (2016) and ’Growing Through Singing – the Suzuki Voice Program and Its Development’ in English (2018) and one Christmas movie (DVD) Petra Kukkamäki’s ‘Korvatunturin katastrofi’ (2019).
Dr. Päivi Kukkamäki was awarded an honorary medal of a Knight of the Order of The White Rose of Finland in 2013 from the Grand Master Sauli Niinistö, the President of Finland. She received the Vantaa Award in 2003 for her work promoting children's culture, Pro Musica -medal in 1978, Sibelius University scholarship in 1998, Vantaa Art scholarship in 1986, 1990, 1993 and 2007, Art Council of Finland scholarship in 2007. Her Suzuki voice group was awarded the Finnish Cultural Foundation scholarship in 2005, 2007 and 2012 and City of Vantaa Special prize in 2008.
Dr. Päivi Kukkamäki was awarded
on December 6th 2013 (Finnish Independence Day)
an honorary medal of a Knight of the Order of
The White Rose of Finland!
The president of Finland is the Grand Master.
After Studies at Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto 1986
Gaala 2013. Behind the photo from Japan 1989.
Musiikin tohtori Päivi Kukkamäki 2003
Vantaa Palkinto 2003