Could you briefly tell us about the Savonlinna Opera Festival?
– Savonlinna, or Nyslott in Swedish, is a small summer town similar to Nora or Vadstena, set in a stunningly beautiful setting. In the Middle Ages, a defensive fortress was built in the middle of an island in a system of lakes, near the Russian border. Over the centuries, the castle has been expanded so that the island is now essentially nothing but the castle itself. As early as 1912, the opera festival was held in the castle courtyard for the first time and has since then, with a few interruptions, established itself as an international summer venue that just keeps growing.
Despite the hard-to-reach location, they still manage to sell out this festival year after year—2,200 tickets per night—for an entire month. They wouldn’t have been able to do that if it weren’t for the exceptional programming that captivates and draws audiences from all over the world. It’s truly special.
What is it that draws such a large audience to the festival, even outside of Finland?
– There aren’t that many international opera festivals that have the global impact that Savonlinna does. Aside from Savonlinna, there’s really only d’Aix-en-Provence, the Salzburg Festival, Bayreuth, and the Glyndebourne Festival. Those are the five festivals in the world at this level. Receiving an invitation to Savonlinna is a huge feather in anyone’s cap. And the fact that we’ve been entrusted with staging an opera by Kaija Saariaho for the first time in the festival’s history is truly remarkable.
This was also evident in the audience’s response, both to the work itself and to the performance. We were told that it was the longest round of applause of this performance season, which shows just how important this work is to Finns.
Why did we end up performing in Savonlinna?
– Ville Matvejeff, who is our first guest conductor as well as the conductor and musical director of our production of *Adriana Mater*, also serves as the artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Because we dared to take a chance on doing something new, something different—and because we did it at a very high level—we were given the opportunity to perform at this incredible festival. Our decision to challenge ourselves and venture beyond the classical opera repertoire—with an ensemble that did justice to the work—was crucial to securing this opportunity.
How was the reception?
– It was especially noticeable in the reactions after the first act during Friday’s premiere—there was a roar, and then the applause just wouldn’t stop after the performance. Those who have been following the festival said this was the highlight of the summer festival. So I’m absolutely thrilled about this! It’s so exciting, but of course I was nervous beforehand since Kaija Saariaho’s widower, Jean-Baptiste Barrière, was in attendance. But he congratulated us on a wonderful production, on understanding what the opera was about, and on maintaining the high standard the work deserves. It was fantastic to hear that.
What does it mean for the Norrlandsoperan to perform on an international stage?
– Getting to perform at a venue like this proves that what we’re all creating at the Norrlandsoperan matters—not just to us here in Västerbotten, but also internationally. As a Swedish opera house, we are able to perform on an international stage. This is a result of our commitment to being an innovative and bold opera house.
Photo: Jussi Silvennoinen / Savonlinna Opera Festival
