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The Savonlinna Opera Festival will be held next summer from 2-31 July 2010. The programme includes Madame Butterfly.

 

The 2009 Savonlinna Opera Festival proved to be a tremendous success this summer in terms of both its programme and its artistic content. Expectations are already growing for next summer, when an international singing competition will be held in connection with the festival for the first time ever.

“The competition is an extremely important arena for increasing awareness about the opera festival internationally. We want to take part in nurturing the stars of tomorrow,” says Marketing and Sales Director Tiina Olkkonen.

The international singing competition is open to women and men of all nationalities born in or after 1983 for women and 1980 for men. No more than 20 contestants will be accepted for the competition, of whom six will be selected for the finals after the preliminary rounds. First prize is 20,000 euros, second prize 10,000 euros and third prize 5000 euros.

“Our strengths as an organiser of such an international singing competition include our international standing, our unique and acoustically outstanding venue in Olavinlinna Castle, and our superb opera festival orchestra,” lists General Director Jan Hultin.

“We believe that the Savonlinna Opera Festival International Opera Singing Competition will stand out from other singing competitions in the world. We also believe that the competition will attract the interest of agents and those responsible for attracting world-class singers to opera houses.”

Tickets already on sale for next summer

According to Tiina Olkkonen, the 2009 Savonlinna Opera Festival was a tremendous success in terms of both its programme and its artistic content. “We have received a lot of positive feedback from this summer’s audiences, who soaked up the performances night after night. The level of the applause was breathtaking.”

A total of 65,000 visitors attended the opera festival this summer. Although ticket sales fell slightly short of the target, sales records were posted in both June and July. Another positive development was the 30-percent increase in capacity utilisation at the performances.

“We are now looking ahead already to next summer. Ticket sales have begun, and the details of the programme are being finalised,” Olkkonen says. New opera productions for summer 2010 include Puccini’s Tosca.

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