Director of the Finnish National Opera and mezzo-soprano Lilli Paasikivi has been appointed as the Artistic Director and CEO of the acclaimed Bregenz Festival in Austria. She will start in her new role in Bregenz on 1 October 2024.

The Board of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet Foundation made a unanimous decision about the appointment in a meeting on Tuesday 11 October 2022. From the many candidates, opera director Thomas de Mallet Burgess was the one who best fulfilled the criteria of the international recruitment process.

The Board of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet Foundation decided to recommend Mr. de Mallet Burgess in a meeting on Thursday 27 September 2022. “As an Artistic Director, Thomas brings a combination of experience and creativity that would boldly develop the future of opera at the Finnish National Opera”, says General Director Gita Kadambi.

The Finnish National Opera and Ballet’s XR Stage Project has received the international FEDORA Next Stage Grant of €60,000. The XR Stage Project is part of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet’s Opera Beyond project. The grant recipients were announced on 17 June at The Opera Europa Spring Conference in Prague.

As the term of the current Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera comes to an end next year, we are seeking a new Artistic Director for a fixed-term appointment for the term 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2027, with the option of a three-year extension. The appointment will include part-time orientation and repertoire planning ahead of the above start date, by mutual agreement. Submit your application by e-mail by 19 April 2022.

The world of music has lost an irreplaceable source of inspiration. Violinist, conductor and composer Jaakko Kuusisto is no longer with us. He died of a severe illness on 23.2.2022.

At its meeting on Thursday 21 October 2021, the Board of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet appointed Javier Torres López to the position of the Artistic Director of the Finnish National Ballet. Javier Torres will assume his new position on 1 August 2022.

In its meeting on Wednesday 6 October, the Board of Directors of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet decided to propose Javier Torres López as the Artistic Director of the Ballet. The proposal followed a motion by General Director Gita Kadambi, which had been unanimously supported by the nomination and remuneration committee appointed by the board.