The Savonlinna Opera Festival organizes the Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition, which takes place every two years. The competition is intended for young Finnish classical singing students. Its purpose is to encourage and assist them in their further studies and development as singers. The winner is not necessarily the most highly developed participant, but a singer with exceptional vocal talent and special interpretative skills.
Held since 1974, the competition has been a springboard to an international career for many prominent Finnish singers. Winners include Walton Grönroos, Raimo Sirkiä, Jorma Silvasti, Kirsi Tiihonen, Johanna Rusanen, Helena Juntunen, Marjukka Tepponen and Tuuli Takala.
The competition was founded by opera singer and later Opera Festival director Timo Mustakallio (1929–84). It is organised by the Savonlinna Opera Festival in cooperation with the Timo Mustakallio Foundation and Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Eero Rantala Fund.
Following the competition can easily be combined with a visit to the Opera Festival, as everything takes place on a single day. Both the opening and closing stages of the competition will be held at Savonlinnasali on Sunday 13 July 2025. Tickets can be purchased here.
Rules for the Singing Competition 2025
The competition is open to Finnish singers born in 1998 or later. The competition only has one series. You can take part in the Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition up to two times.
Registering to the competition
You can register for the competition using the online form by 28/02/2025.
In addition to the registration form, the following attachments and links are to be sent electronically:
- CV with a statement of your musical studies, your most significant performances and previous competitions (no more than one A4)
- A link to an audiovisual file stored on YouTube or a similar service containing one solo song (lied) and one opera aria with piano accompaniment
- A photograph of the applicant
- Programme of the competition
Late or incomplete registrations will not be accepted.
Pre-qualification
The pre-qualification committee appointed by the Competition Committee will select the singers for the preliminary round based on video recordings. The pre-qualification event will be held in Helsinki on Monday, April 28, 2025. Invitations to the pre-qualification event will be sent out at the beginning of April. During the pre-qualification event, the contestant will perform one solo song (lied) and one opera aria with piano accompaniment. The Competition Committee will appoint a pianist for the pre-qualification event; however, the contestant may also choose to perform with their own pianist. Upon request, the contestant must submit the piano material for their competition programme to the Competition Secretary in advance. The contestants must prepare to present their identity documentation or passport at the pre-qualification event.
The names of the singers selected for the competition will be published on the Savonlinna Opera Festival website at www.operafestival.fi on the day following the pre-qualification event. All selected contestants will also be notified personally. Singers selected for the competition have the right to make changes to the competition programme they have provided at the time of registration until 19/5/2025. After this, no further changes can be made.
Drawing of the competition order
The competition order will be drawn the day before the competition in Savonlinna (during the Opera Day opening at 10 am, if possible). All contestants must be present at the draw.
Course of the competition and the competition programme
The competition will consist of two rounds (first and final rounds), which will be public events. The order of the programme in both rounds is free, but the maximum duration of the competition programme in each round is 10 minutes.
Participants will have the opportunity to use competition accompanists in their programmes. Prior to the first round, the contestant has the right to rehearse with an accompanist for one hour at a location in Savonlinna determined by the Opera Festival. The contestants may also bring their own accompanist at their own expense. The competition programme’s songs must be performed in their original language and the arias in their original key. A recitative of the opera arias will also be performed.
Upon request, the contestant must submit the piano material for their competition programme to the Competition Secretary in advance.
The first round shall be held on Sunday 13/07/2025 at 11.00 am in the Savonlinna Hall
Programme: Solo song (lied) and opera aria chosen by the contestant.
The finals shall be held on Sunday, 13/07/2025, at 7.00 pm in the Savonlinna Hall.
Programme: Solo song (lied) and opera aria chosen by the contestant, however, not the same ones as in the first round.
Jury
Ville Matvejeff, chairman
Erkki Korhonen
Päivi Nisula
Pre-qualification pianist
Tuula Hällström
Competition pianists
Pauli Jämsä
Tuula Hällström
Prizes
Two prizes will be awarded to the winners of the Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition. The winner’s prize amounts to EUR 15,000, and the prize awarded from the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Eero Rantala Fund is EUR 10,000.
After the competition, the winners will be offered a job opportunity in the following year’s Opera Festival programme.
Other rules
The winners of the competition prizes agree to perform at a concert held at the Espoo Organ Night and Aria Festival after the competition, on 17/07/2025 at Olari Church.
The organiser of the competition has the unlimited rights to broadcast, record, video record, televise, film and produce audio discs of the competition performances and to present parts of the competition performances on websites and other information networks without any separate compensation to the contestants or their accompanists.
Each contestant shall be responsible for paying their own travel and accommodation expenses for participating in the pre-qualification event and the competition, as well as the expenses of any accompanist accompanying them.
TIMO MUSTAKALLIO SINGING COMPETITION WINNERS
2023 Iirisilona Segerstam
2021 Johan Krogius
2019 Iris Candelaria
2017 Aurora Marthens
2015 Markus Suihkonen
2013 Tuuli Takala
2011 Miina-Liisa Värelä
2008 Marjukka Tepponen
2006 Mika Nisula
2004 Petrus Schroderus
2002 Laura Pyrrö
2000 Helena Juntunen
1998 Gabriel Suovanen
1995 Johanna Rusanen
1993 Sami Luttinen
1991 Pia Freund
1989 Päivi Nisula
1988 Ari Grönthal
1987 Kirsi Tiihonen
1986 Airi Tokola
1985 Margit Westerlund
1984 Ulla Sippola
1983 Satu Sippola-Nurminen
1982 Jorma Silvasti
1981 Raimo Sirkiä
1980 Leena Kosola
1979 Annukka Mäenpää
1978 Anitta Ranta
1977 Kalevi Olli
1976 Raili Viljakainen
1975 Walton Grönroos
1974 Leena Kiilunen
Eero Rantala Fund Prize from the Finnish Cultural Foundation
2023 Gabriel Kivivuori Sereno
2021 Jere Hölttä
2019 Sonja Herranen
2017 Sanna Iljin
2015 Sanna Matinniemi
2013 Pihla Terttunen
2011 Alina Heikkilä
2008 Hanna Rantala
2006 Jussi Merikanto
2004 Mika Kares
2002 Hanna Kronqvist
2001 Helena Juntunen
2000 Markus Nieminen
1998 Herman Wallén
1995 Anna-Maria Jurvelin
1993 Jaana Mäntynen
1992 Ari Grönthal
1991 Anna-Kristiina Kaappola
