Get soaked in the stories and get to know the creators. Interviews, videos, behind the scenes and the most beautiful arias – you’re welcome.
3 highlights of the Savonlinna Opera Festival 2023
An opera festival in the Finnish summer is an opportunity to enjoy not only high-quality opera performances but also wonderfully light July nights and Nordic nature. The small town of Savonlinna is full of life in July. The medieval Olavinlinna castle on the shore of the famous Lake Saimaa plays host to the festival.
Read more
RUMOURS, LADDERS AND A BARBER
Gioachino Rossini grew up in an opera orchestra pit, for his mother sang and his father played the trumpet. His musical career, first as a boy soprano, reached its zenith in February 1816 when, at the age of 23, he composed The Barber of Seville in a matter of weeks. Read more about the most popular Rossini’s opera.
Read more
STAGE DIRECTOR KARI HEISKANEN: IS IT OK TO LAUGH AT THE OPERA?
The Barber of Seville is Kari Heiskanen’s 14th opera direction. “The story sees to itself in an opera; the stage director’s job is to ensure that it comes across. The turn of events, perspectives and tensions come with the story. If the opera is well composed, the music supports all this.”
Read more
Over a century of opera festivals in Olavinlinna
The idea of Savonlinna Opera Festival first came from the Finnish soprano Aino Ackté: ”The most wonderful castle in the world, surrounded by otherworldly lake scenery” would offer just the right backdrop for opera.
Read more
WHAT THE AUDIENCE SAYS: WHY SAVONLINNA HAS ONE OF EUROPE’S BEST OPERA FESTIVALS
Countless operas have been performed in this uniquely dramatic location to 70 000 plus people annually. To find out for yourself whether Savonlinna has one of Europe’s best opera festivals, here’s what people from around the world said about their experience in our recent research.
Read more
The Savonlinna Opera Festival relies on ticket revenue
To us, the arrival of the summer changes everything. Our organisation of just 13 full-time employees increases a hundredfold into a festival team of 1200. That’s how many salaried and voluntary pairs of hands are needed to receive the Savonlinna Opera Festival’s 70 000 visitors. The annual budget of our festival is 8 million euro, which is mainly covered by ticket revenue.
Read moreMore videos on our YouTube channel
More videosRead more
