Finnish National Opera and Ballet
Finland's national opera and ballet company in a white modernist house on the shore of Töölönlahti bay.
The Finnish National Opera traces its origins to the Domestic Opera company founded in 1911, and the Finnish National Ballet was established in 1922. For decades both performed in the cramped former Alexander Theatre before moving to a purpose-built house on the western shore of Töölönlahti bay, which opened in November 1993. The competition-winning design by Eero Hyvämäki, Jukka Karhunen and Risto Parkkinen is a low, white-tiled and granite-faced composition stepping down towards the water, with a glazed foyer facing the bay.
The building contains a main auditorium seating around 1,350 and the smaller, flexible Almi Hall for chamber works and experimental productions, together with rehearsal studios, workshops and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet's own orchestra. The repertoire mixes standard opera and ballet with new Finnish commissions, and the company has premiered works by composers including Aulis Sallinen and Kaija Saariaho. Performances are also streamed through the company's Stage24 service, and guided tours of the building are offered periodically.
Highlights
- Purpose-built opera house of 1993 on Töölönlahti bay
- Main auditorium of about 1,350 seats plus the flexible Almi Hall
- Home of the Finnish National Ballet, founded in 1922
- Stage24 streaming service carrying productions online
