La Chambre aux échos’ second visit to the Finnish National Opera explores the courage and anxiety of youth, as Kaija Saariaho’s music is interwoven with young composers’ work. Dramaturge and director Aleksi Barrière and conductor Clément Mao-Takacs shed light on their holistic work of art. Three years ago at the
Get inspired
What exactly does the work of a ballet pianist involve? Marja-Kaisa Mäkinen tells all about her varied and fast-paced role accompanying the dancers of the Finnish National Ballet.
Life in the sewing studio is surprisingly fast and furious. We asked seamstress Outi Riikonen to explain what she does at the costume department of the Opera House.
The rehearsals for Jekyll & Hyde by choreographer Val Caniparoli started in Helsinki in exceptional circumstances.
Minna Lindgren describes how Cosí fan tutte by Mozart and da Ponte turned into something totally different and pushed aside Wagner’s Die Walküre.
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.”
"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."
Why is Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème considered as an opera classic?
“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.