Helsinki Festival will feature Le Grand Macabre, Yunchan Lim as soloist for the Czech Philharmonic and many others

Highlights of the festival include, among others, an interpretation of the opera Le Grand Macabre by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and international soloists, a concert by the Czech Philharmonic with star pianist Yunchan Lim as soloist and the play The Silence by the Berlin-based Schaubühne theatre. The Huvila programme will feature, for example, concerts by Katie Melua and Carminho. Night of the Arts will be celebrated with a magical parade of giant animals.

This year’s Helsinki Festival programme is now complete. “Helsinki Festival once again provides the highlight of late summer by filling the city with art. This year’s programme emphasises major international productions and art experiences that cross genre boundaries. Helsinki Festival brings to Helsinki art that would not otherwise come here. We want to offer the audience both thrilling classics and new creations”, describes Johanna Freundlich, Artistic Director of Helsinki Festival.

Classical music highlights include Le Grand Macabre and piano virtuoso Yunchan Lim A musically and visually exceptional major production of György Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre will be performed at Musiikkitalo on 24 and 25 August. Helsinki Festival will experience a semi-staged premiere of the opera, visualised by top professionals and interpreted by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with a cast of international star soloists.

In addition to the already-announced concert of the Czech Philharmonic with Janine Jansen playing solo violin, the top orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov will also perform a second concert at Musiikkitalo on 29 August, with South Korean star pianist Yunchan Lim as soloist.

Other additions to the classical music programme include a concert by the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera, featuring Conor Mitchell’s Riot Symphony, which celebrates resistance symbols, punk rock, symphony, opera and politics. This wild combination of music and video art can be experienced at Musiikkitalo on 20 August, conducted by Andrew Gourlay, with soprano Aurora Marthens and tenor Ric Furman as soloists.

The Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Susanna Mälkki, offers youthful energy and next generation interpretations of classical masterpieces at its Musiikkitalo concert, Fairy tales and symphonies, on 26 August.

Rufus Wainwright’s Dream Requiem, announced in December, gets an additional performance – the major work will be performed at Musiikkitalo on 19 August as well.

This year’s theatrical event is the Berlin-based Schaubühne theatre’s visit to perform the play The Silence on the Main Stage of the Finnish National Theatre on 21 and 22 August. Falk Richter’s biographical work is a revealing and self-ironic dive into the silenced history of a German family, where the legacy of war traumas meets modern-day queer identity.

Helsinki Festival’s international dance programme is reinforced with the London-born choreographer Botis Seva’s Olivier award-winning work BLKDOG. Performed at Almi Hall of the Finnish National Opera on 2 and 3 September, the moving, narrative performance combines contemporary and hiphop dance with a strong visual touch.

From the field of visual arts, Helsinki Festival and Kunsthalle Helsinki bring to Finland the internationally-acclaimed Alia Ali’s first solo exhibition in the Nordic countries. In Light of… is an abundant and immersive experience that combines textiles, photographs and sound.

Art for children and families is represented by the Belgian Zonzo Compagnie’s delightful Thelonious, which utilises music and animation to lead the viewers into the world of jazz legend Thelonious Monk.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s 13 Tongues, announced in December, receives an additional performance – the work can be seen at Dance House Helsinki on four consecutive days, with a matinee on August 30.

After the upcoming summer, the iconic Huvila Festival Tent will be placed on a two-year hiatus due to the renovation of the park area. This is the last chance to enjoy top concerts in the unique atmosphere of Tokoinranta before the break.

The Huvila stage will feature an impressive array of international artists bringing music from all over the world to Helsinki, such as Portuguese fado star Carminho and West African music heavyweight Angélique Kidjo. The selection of interesting singer-songwriters includes the wistful pop of Katie Melua and Swedish indie artists Amanda Bergman and Hannes.

Huvila’s 18-night concert cavalcade will also feature Finnish gigs especially tailored for Helsinki Festival as well as anniversary concerts by beloved long-time favourites. Pop and schlager music celebrations include the anniversary of Anssi Kela’s Nummela and Egotrippi’s Vielä koittaa uusi aika albums, Ellinoora’s flamboyant Pop Sinfonia, Maija Vilkkumaa’s karaoke nights and Mikko Kuustonen performing symphonic versions of his hits with Kymi Sinfonietta. Arja Koriseva will delight the audience with a special tango concert with the international Tango Alakulo ensemble. Other Huvila stars are Ricky-Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana, Sir Elwoodin hiljaiset värit and A.W. Yrjänä, who will premiere his entire album Eidolon, set for release in August. Huvila’s classical music concert this year is Legends of the North in Helsinki, for which the Lapland Chamber Orchestra conducted by John Storgårds is joined by yoik master singers Katarina Barruk and Niillas Holmberg as soloists.

The opening of Helsinki Festival is celebrated during Night of the Arts with the French theatre group Compagnie Off’s astounding Les Girafes – Animal Operetta as the top attraction this year. The monumental street performance combining giant puppet theatre, circus, burlesque and opera will take over the streets of the city centre as a parade that ends at Senate Square.

At the heart of Night of the Arts are hundreds of free events produced by the residents of Helsinki themselves. The open call for events begins on 14 April on the Night of the Arts website at: helsinkifestival.fi/taiteidenyo/en.

Image: Botis Seva – BLKDOG (c) Camilla Greenwell