W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni is director Jussi Nikkilä’s first genuine deep dive into the world of opera. ”The story is about a sex addict. I wanted to take a bold approach to the theme. Don Giovanni is an adult male who has operated in a certain way for decades. His entire character, his behavioural pattern and what he does to people provide an ideal landscape and dramatic tension for a director.”
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"I am responsible for anything to do with lights and special effects during a performance. That means every one of the more than 600 lights of the stage, as well as any video projections and smoke. I plan their implementation according to the lighting designer’s wishes and supervise their setup and programming for all rehearsals and performances."
“I see Der Ring des Nibelungen as one of the finest works of the opera genre. I was already fascinated by it when I was young. I started to watch Das Rheingold half-heartedly, but the opera had me hooked and I was compelled to see the other parts, too. I was instantly carried away by both the music and the story. I’d seen many operas before, but this was a life-changing experience; the story is so interesting and captivating,“ says director Anna Kelo.
18 new dancers have started at the Finnish National Ballet this autumn, with 11 in the dance company proper and 7 in the FNB Youth Company.
Working as part of the Chorus of the Finnish National Opera is demanding but hugely rewarding. Our opera singers Salla Leponiemi and Simo Mäkinen shine a light on their profession in the A to Z of the Chorus of the FNO – it’s all very tongue in cheek, of course.
"I see each orchestra as a unique person, like different people. Sometimes there’s immediate chemistry between the conductor and the orchestra. That’s what happened with the orchestra of the FNOB." Read an interesting interview of our Principal Guest Conductor Patrick Fournillier.
We want to ensure that Finnish opera and ballet will continue to flourish in the future, too. Thus we award grants and scholarships from a variety of funds every year, to artists and other professionals of Opera and Ballet. Read the stories of our scholars!
Petteri Iivonen is the 1st Leader of the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. What is his job like? Read Petteri's interview!
"I never consciously decided to become a dancer. I started dance classes almost by chance." Read FNOB's soloist dancer Antti Keinänen's interview!