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about us

About us – introducing the Finnish National Opera and Ballet

This is where you can read more about our work and our people.

The art institution of the entire Finnish nation

We offer opera and ballet performances and other events to people of all ages. Thanks to visiting performances, school operas, recordings and live broadcasts as well as television and radio broadcasts, the experiences we create can be enjoyed everywhere in Finland and around the world.

In terms of personnel, we are a mid-sized opera and ballet company. We have approximately 550 people on our monthly payroll from 32 countries. This includes 53 opera singers in soloist and choral roles, 74 dancers (additional 14 dancers in the Youth Company), and 111 orchestra musicians. Besides this, a considerable number of Finnish and foreign guest performers contributes to our performances. What’s more, the Opera House is home to a wide variety of highly skilled artisan professionals from cobblers to metal workers.

Each year, we usually have four opera premieres and three ballet premieres in our repertoire. These are complemented by returning productions, so our seasonal repertoire is different every week and can comprise dozens of different productions. In addition to classics, we also perform contemporary opera and dance productions with a specific focus on Finnish works.

As Finland’s first and only professional opera company, the Finnish National Opera was established in 1911, followed by the Finnish National Ballet in 1922. Performances took place in the compact Alexander Theatre for a long time, until the current Opera House provided an up to date venue in 1993.

Finnish National Opera and Ballet in numbers

555

Permanent employees

32

Nationalities

525

Performances

50

Tour localities

216633

Visitors

2500000

Audience reach

*figures from 2022

personnel

performance database encore

The Ballet School of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet

Enjoy performances online

OperaVision – Europe’s largest virtual opera stage

OperaVision is the shared streaming platform of 30 European opera companies and Opera Europa. It allows you to enjoy live, freeview opera from the comfort of your home.

Besides the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, the platform offers live streams from Berlin’s Komische Oper, Teatro Regio Torino, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, London’s Royal Opera House, Teatro Real Madrid, and the Norwegian National Opera.

Reserve the best seat on your sofa.

Funded by the European Union

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