The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced a cast change for its production of “Macbeth” on July 12, 2025. The company said that Francesco Pio Galasso will sing the role of Macduff, replacing Johan Krogius. The tenor took to social media to announce the news and said, “Tonight I’ll jump in as Macduff in Macbeth here at Savonlinna Opera Festival with {…}
(Image Courtesy of Savonlinna Festival) The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced its 2026 season. Henning von Schulman, Kristian Lindroos, Lucrezia Drei, Iris Candelaria, Waltteri Torikka, Jérôme Boutillier, Johanna Nylund, and Sonja Herranen star in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Johannes Erath directs and Andrea Sanguineti conducts. Performance Date: July 3-25, 2026 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Silja Aalto, Antony Ciaramitaro, {…}
The Savonlinna Opera Festival has unveiled its 2025 season. First up is the “550 Years of Olavinlinna” anniversary concert. Erkki Lasonpalo conducts. Soloists will be announced at a later date. Performance Date: July 3, 2025 Ludovic Tézier, Saioa Hernández, Goran Juric, and Johan Krogius headline “Macbeth.” Lorenzo Passerini conducts Ralf Långbacka’s production. Vilppu Kiljunen will be the revival director. Performance Date: July {…}
The Savonlinna Opera Festival has unveiled its 2024 slate. First up is Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Rodula Gaitanou conducts the production. Performance Date: July 6 – 26, 2024 Tuomas Katajala and Sinead Campbell Wallace will play Lohengrin and Elsa in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” with Karita Mattila singing Ortrud and Lucio Gallo appearing as Telramund. Rounding out the cast is Timo Riihonen. The opera {…}
(Photo Credit: Steven Harris) The Savonlinna Opera Festival is set to open later this month. Here is a rundown of the 2023 slate. First up is “Romeo et Juliette,” conducted by Yves Abel and directed by Amy Lane. The opera stars superstar Lisette Oropesa and Amitai Pati in Cast A, with Marjukka Tepponen and Antonio Poli in the second cast. {…}
The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced that Artistic Director Ville Matvejeff will take over the company following the departure of Jan Strandholm, who has stepped down as General Director. “It has been a great honor and joy to head the Savonlinna Opera Festival for the past ten years. I feel privileged to have worked with such a top team, which {…}
(Credit: Gert Krautbauer) The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced the appointment of Jan Schweiger as its new Chorus Master. Schweiger studied choral and orchestral conducting and subsequently graduated with honors from the Mozarteum University Salzburg. He has worked as the chorusmaster and conductor of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Belgium since 2014. Prior to this, his engagements have included conducting the {…}
The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced its 2022 festival, which will feature five operas and several concerts. First up will be a new production of Verdi’s “Aida” by director Phillipp Himmelmann who asserts that “’Aida’ must be retold, because the world has changed irrevocably.” The opera will star Adina Aaron and Helena Juntunen sharing the title role alongside Gaston Rivero, {…}
The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced it will cancel all opera performances for the 2021 season. In a press release, the festival said, “the pandemic outlook for this July in Finland is still so uncertain that opera performances and the orchestral galas with Karita Mattila will be canceled.” However, the festival announced that other concerts and the national Timo Mustakallio {…}
(Credits: Lauri Eriksson / Victor Santiago) The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced its 2021 slate, which will include several opera productions and a recital by famed Finnish soprano Karita Mattila. Bizet’s opera “Carmen” will feature Amadi Lagha as Don José, Andrei Kymach and Tapani Plathan alternating in the role of Escamillo, and Tuija Knihtilä in the title role. Performance dates: {…}
(Image Provided by Savonlinna Opera Festival) The Savonlinna Opera Festival has announced that it will broadcast Karita Mattila’s recital to homes around the world starting on July 1, 2020. The broadcast will be made in collaboration with Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle. ”I’m really looking forward to singing at the castle and performing with Ville the program we specifically put together {…}
