Karita Mattila and Tommi Hakala to Lead 80th-Anniversary Tampere Opera Gala
Karita Mattila and Tommi Hakala will headline two Opera Gala concerts at Tampere-talo on 4–5 December, marking Tampereen Ooppera’s 80th anniversary and featuring Tampere Filharmonia under conductor Mikko Franck.
According to the City of Tampere, Karita Mattila returns to Tampere after eight years to sing Rusalka's Song to the Moon and other major arias at a special Opera Gala. The concerts are set for Tampere-talo on Friday 4 December at 19:00 and Saturday 5 December at 16:00, marking the 80th anniversary of Tampereen Ooppera and highlighting Tampere Filharmonia's autumn season. They build on the orchestra's earlier programming, which opened the season with Sibelius's Kullervo when the orchestra launched its autumn season.
The programme pairs internationally renowned Finnish soloists with Tampereen Ooppera's chorus and Tampere Filharmonia under conductor Mikko Franck. Audiences will hear Leevi Madetoja's Pohjalaiset overture, Dvořák's Rusalka, scenes from Verdi's Nabucco, Janáček's Jenůfa monologue, Bizet's Carmen choruses and Puccini's Madama Butterfly coro a bocca chiusa. After the interval Tommi Hakala sings the title monologue from Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, while Mattila performs arias from Wagner's Die Walküre and Verdi's Don Carlos. The programme closes with a joint performance of Sibelius's Finlandia ahead of Finland's Independence Day.
Presented as a co-production by Tampere-talo and Tampere Filharmonia, the gala caps a season-long focus on the human voice and celebrates Tampereen Ooppera's history. It brings international stars back to the city's stage for two large-scale choral and orchestral performances. Tickets are available from Tampere-talo and Tampere Filharmonia box offices.
Earlier coverage
Catch the full story over at City of Tampere
