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Premieres to herald the jubilee season

The Savonlinna Opera Festival is known beyond Finland’s borders for not only its high artistic standard but also for its numerous premieres of Finnish operas (11 during the period 1930-2008). It is precisely this feature that has helped to make the Festival a lasting favourite with the international critics. The tradition continues in the jubilee year, when there will be not one but two world premieres on the Olavinlinna Castle stage. Read more

Popular favourites back on the programme

The programme for the jubilee season 2012 is an interesting mix of new and traditional, Finnish and international. Representing tradition are the three most legendary and most popular productions in the history of the Savonlinna Opera Festival: August Everding’s direction of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Ilkka Bäckman’s vision of Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, and András Mikó’s rendering of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida. Read more

Vikings keep watch

In addition to its many premieres, the Savonlinna Opera Festival is known for acting host to international opera houses. From 1987 onwards the mighty walls of Olavinlinna Castle have witnessed fantastic performances by over 20 guest houses. That for the jubilee year comes from Oslo and is one of the most interesting opera companies in Europe. Inspired by the splendid new modern house to which it moved a couple of years ago, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet (Den Norske Opera & Ballett) is on a truly magnificent upward artistic curve. Paul Curran’s brilliant direction of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes and the impressive Norwegian opera Den fjerde nattevakt (The fourth Watch of the Night) by Gisle Kverndokk are fine proof of the present standard of Norway’s national opera. These two operas are a fitting culmination of the unusually rich and varied programme for Savonlinna’s jubilee year.

The Savonlinna Opera Festival iPad application

Now you can download the Free Savonlinna Opera Festival 2012 iPad application from the Apple App Store.

Concerts and Fringe

The concert repertoire is likewise studded with some shining gems. The Festival begins on July 5 with an Anniversary Gala starring nearly 20 top soloists, the Savonlinna Opera Festival Orchestra and Choir. Opera directors from all over the world will be bringing greetings to this unique concert. Years of waiting will be rewarded on July 15 when Karita Mattila returns for a concert in Olavinlinna Castle. Adding a new touch to the Festival will be an “opera” concert by the Apocalyptica cellos.

Dozens of concerts, theatre and other performances, talks, exhibitions and events will now, for the first time, be part of a Fringe Festival held concurrently with the Opera Festival. The Fringe core will consist of local arts people together with performers from all over Finland. The repertoire is broad, stretching from the popular Finnish “Egg Man” as the Queen of the Night to the Harvest Dances Singspiel by Ilmari Hannikainen.

A hundred years of the finest opera

The Savonlinna Opera Festival is one of the most radiantand internationally most significant events in the Finnish cultural calendar – the jewel in the crown of the summer arts season in fact. From decade to decade the unequalled atmosphere and astounding acoustics of Olavinlinna, this medieval castle, have been casting their magic spell on opera lovers from all over the world.

Read more about the history