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Young Singers’ Programme

In the autumn of 2022, the Finnish National Opera launched a new programme in support of the professional development of young singers, with the Louise and George Ehrnrooth Foundation as its founding partner. The singers, who are selected for the programme based on applications and an audition, are offered a temporary trainee soloist contract at the Finnish National Opera for one season at a time. They will be featured in Main Stage productions.

The application for the 2025–2026 season of Young singers’ programme has ended.

The singers selected for the programme

The soloists of the Young Singers’ Programme for the 2024–2025 season are Iris Candelaria, Elisaveta Rimkevitch and Jussi Vänttinen. Vänttinen continues in the program for the season 2025–2026 while the newly chosen singers are Tuomas Miettola and Sarah Zieba. 

”Being a successful opera singer requires skills, which you can only learn from experienced, world-class professionals. The Young Singers’ Programme of the Finnish National Opera will be an excellent opportunity to mentor, encourage and inspire young musicians in all the aspects of performing arts.”

– Hannu Lintu, Chief Conductor of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet

The application for the 2025-2026 season has ended

Finnish National Opera is seeking singers for a fixed-term monthly salaried position for the 2025–2026 season based on auditions for the Young Singers Programme launched with the Louise and Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation in autumn 2022.

Singers who participated in the program in previous years performed several roles on the main stage of the Finnish National Opera and appeared in other events. In addition, they received coaching, language training, mentoring and participated in master classes.

Applicants are expected to have a conservatory or university degree in vocal arts and/or several years of professional-level vocal studies and performance experience. In addition, the applicant must be of legal age and born in 1989 or later. Live auditions will be held in early November in Helsinki.

“The Young Singers’ Programme at Finnish National Opera is an opportunity for talented singing actors to immerse themselves in a community of expert practice. We offer a bespoke prrogramme of activity built to harness the potential of each participant as artist and communicator. We welcome applications from far and wide. And we very much look forward to hearing from you.”
-Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director of Opera

Singers in the season 2024-2025

Iris Candelaria

Soprano Iris Candelaria graduated from the Sibelius Academy’s opera program with a Master of Music degree under the guidance of Annika Ollinkari in 2022.

Candelaria’s debut at the National Opera was in the role of the Queen of the Night in W. A. Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute in the fall of 2022. At the Savonlinna Opera Festival, she has performed in the role of the High Priestess in Verdi’s opera Aida in 2022 and in the role of Pamina in The Magic Flute in the summer of 2023. Candelaria achieved a shared first place in the Lappeenranta singing competition in January 2023 and won the Timo Mustakallio singing competition in 2019.

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Elisaveta Rimkevitch

Elisaveta Rimkevitch graduated in 2021 from the Sibelius Academy with a degree in classical vocal arts. Rimkevitch is a finalist in several domestic singing competitions and the winner of the shared third place in the 2023 Lappeenranta National Competition and the special prize of the Opera and Ballet Support Foundation.

In 2018, pianist Niina Ranta and Elisaveta Rimkevitch placed third in the Helsinki Lied Competition. She has previously performed in Sibelius Academy opera productions as well as at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and Sataopera.

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Jussi Vänttinen

Jussi Vänttinen

Baritone Jussi Vänttinen holds a Master of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy’s opera programme and a Master of Opera from Stockholm’s Operahögskolan. He won the men’s category of the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in early 2019. In September of the same year, he debuted at the Finnish National Opera in the role of Moralès in Bizet’s opera Carmen. Vänttinen has also performed as a soloist with several Finnish orchestras and has appeared in concerts at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm and the Malmö Opera.

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support young singers’ program

Your donation to the Young Singers’ Program will support the development of opera singers at the start of their professional career.

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Any questions?

For more information about the programme, please contact External Relations Manager Lauri Pokkinen, lauri.pokkinen@opera.fi

see also

Singers

The Youth Company of the Finnish National Ballet

Patron engagement at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet