MIKKELI MUSIC FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR VOCAL MUSIC LOVERS

Mikkeli Music Festival 2024 offers a rich variety of vocal music, from Waltteri Torika's church concert to Iris Candelaria's recital or the Philharmonia Orchestra's Opera Gala conducted by Ville Matvejeff.

The vocal soloists include young European promising singers as well as the best of Finnish opera singers. The opening concert will also feature one of Finland's leading large choirs, the Helsinki Philharmonic Choir, while the concert of game music will feature the young and powerful Male Choir Alvar.

3.8. Celebration of the Grand Choir at the Opening Concert

3.8. The opening concert is a true Ode to Joy! The main piece of the concert will be Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (1824), which premiered 200 years ago and features a grand choir in its finale. The symphony will be completed by Luukas Hiltunen's Scintillation (2024). This work for orchestra and mixed choir, set to a poem by Emily Dickinson, is a tribute to the master of European symphonic music, Ludwig van Beethoven.

The concert, conducted by rising conducting star Aliisa Neige-Barrière, will be crowned by the 75-strong Helsinki Philharmonic Choir. The Helsinki Philharmonic Choir has performed at numerous Finnish music festivals and collaborated with, among others, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. The choir is known for its bold program selections, expressive power, and metallic sound.

The Saimaa Sinfonietta, from Mikkeli and Lappeenranta, serves as the orchestra for the concert, and among the soloists are top Finnish names, including coloratura soprano Marika Hölttä.

3.8. Pre-Opening concert in Stella

On 3 August at 14:00, the opening of the festival will be celebrated at the Stella shopping centre with music by the ever-popular Oskar Merikanto and Giacomo Puccini. The ESMO ensemble, known for the opera The Death of Elina, will perform, with soloists including soprano Laura Heinonen and mezzo-soprano Anu Ontronen. The hour-long concert will be performed by the ESMO piano trio (Mirva Helske, Matti Makkonen and Susanna Mieskonen-Makkonen) and hosted by conductor Erkki Lasonpalo. The concert is free of charge!

4.8. Ethereal Afternoon Dreams

On the 4th of August, the concert day begins with a dazzling recital by the winner of the 2023 Lappeenranta Singing Competition, Finnish-Spanish soprano Iris Candelaria, accompanied by the pianist wizard Jukka Nykänen. The well-known duo has assembled a wide selection of Southern European lied music for the concert, including pieces by French masters Claude Debussy and Francis Poulenc.

Candelaria, who has risen to become one of Finland's most sought-after sopranos in recent years, will also appear as a soloist in the Game Music Collective's concert on the same evening.

4.8. Game Music Concert for the Whole Family

The Game Music Collective's game music concert is the highlight of the summer for music lovers and gamers of all ages. The 8-piece Game Music Collective will perform in Mikkeli with the players of the Vivo Symphony Orchestra and the male choir Alvari, composed of young men from Seminaarimäki.

The Game Music Collective will perform arrangements of new and old games. The repertoire includes both storytelling console games and Nintendo classics, so there will be something familiar for game lovers of all generations in the family. The concert is visualized with gaming aesthetics in mind.

With 25 million views on YouTube, Game Music Collective's videos have garnered significant attention, captivating both the gaming community and fans of symphonic music alike during their concerts. How does it feel to hear the songs from your favorite games performed live by a large orchestra and choir?

"Black shoes tapping on the funnel. The fabric of the suit rubs against your feet, the thumping subsides and the hissing stops. The soundtrack rattles. The silence becomes the sound of a choir. A halo theme sung by a male choir fills the echoing space. I get chills."

Apparently quite good.

7.8. Waltteri Torikka in Pitäjänkirko

Baritone Waltteri Torikka has established himself as one of the most beloved opera singers of his generation in Finland. Torikka has performed as a soloist with the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. In 2024, Torikka will perform in concerts such as the Merikanto concerts with pianist Marko Hilpo and Don Giovanni in Savonlinna.

The Mikkeli Music Festival offers Torikka fans a unique gem: Torikka will perform with the Mikkeli City Orchestra in the magnificent, bright surroundings of the Pitäjänkirko church. The programme of this timeless concert will include baroque music, cantatas and songs, as well as the opera arias that have made Torikka famous. Soar to the heights with Torika's melodious voice and the strings of the City Orchestra!

10.8. Ville Matvejeff and the Philharmonia Orchestra's Opera Gala

Could there be better conditions for an Opera Gala than having the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra from London as the orchestra and Ville Matvejeff, the artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival, as the conductor?

Hardly.

The evening of 10 August at Mikaeli will be full of glamour and champagne as opera arias and ensembles come to life on stage, interpreted by top young soloists. The Philharmonia will also perform some of its most spectacular orchestral numbers. The vocal soloists are rising opera talents from the next generation in Europe, recipients of prestigious scholarships. Come and hear them on their journey to the Metropolitan!