The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation has awarded the Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) a grant of 504 000 euros to establish fully fledged baroque opera in Finland. In addition to the concrete productions, the project involves building a sustainable funding and partnership model to support the initiative beyond its three-year launch. FiBO’s principal partner in this venture is the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.
“Finnish National Opera and Ballet congratulates our partner, Finnish Baroque Orchestra, in securing this important funding from The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. We look forward to realising the potential of this collaboration over several years with FiBO. Through Finnish National Opera and Ballet contributing its size, scale, infrastructure and systems base to enhance a key independent player in the sector we hope to demonstrate proof of the partnership concept as a viable means to grow the sector at a time of financial austerity. Our artistic collaboration aims to assist in the renewal of baroque opera in Finland to build audiences and support artists”, Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director of Finnish National Opera, says.
The Finnish Baroque Orchestra has been one of the most significant promoters of historically informed performance in Finland for more than 35 years. Through this initiative, the Finnish Baroque Orchestra brings a pioneering spirit to the renewal of opera as an art form, while the full-scale productions engage diverse audiences and serve a multidisciplinary field of professionals. Works from the 17th and 18th centuries provide fertile ground for an approach that blends expertise in historical styles with the kind of critical contextualization demanded by the modern stage.
FiBO’s Executive Manager Laura Kajander is also excited about the future: “I am extremely pleased that the long-discussed idea of baroque opera in Finland is finally finding a firm place in our cultural landscape. Fantastic musical experiences lie ahead. I would like to thank the Finnish Baroque Orchestra team and the Finnish National Opera for their excellent work and courage in embracing new challenges.”