”In order to truly love, you must embrace the possibility of getting hurt.”
W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which had its world premiere in Prague in 1787 is director Jussi Nikkilä’s first genuine deep dive into the world of opera.

”This classic work is indeed the first opera I have directed, and plenty of it has been new and amazing, starting from the terminology.”
”Assistant stage directors Anna Kelo and Riikka Räsänen are both very experienced at this work, and they have been remarkably supportive, just like our marvellous conductor Patrick Fournillier. All in all, this is a great environment with a great team.”
The concert version of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fidelio with the Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2018 and Robert Schumann’s oratorio Scenes from Goethe’s Faust in 2019 at the Helsinki Festival introduced the theatre director to the world of music productions.
”Both productions combined theatre and opera, so they were my soft landing to this genre. A long planning period, numerous visits to the opera as a spectator, as well as opera literature have all helped guide me,” Nikkilä says.