The Bregenz International Opera Festival is one of the most important European music events. Paasikivi’s season at the Finnish National Opera will end at the end of next July.
Opera director and mezzo-soprano Lilli Paasikivi has been appointed Artistic and General Director of the prestigious Bregenz Festival in Austria. She will take up her post in Bregenz on the shores of Lake Constance on 1 October 2024.
– It is a great honour to be chosen for this position, Lilli Paasikivi says in a press release from the Finnish National Opera.
According to Paasikivi, the profile of the Bregenz Festival and its renowned artistic partners create excellent conditions for curating a diverse and high-quality programme.
– I am impressed by how ambitiously the festival has been built for decades, and I want to do my part to continue this valuable tradition. As a leader, I want to highlight new interesting trends. As a singer, of course, opera and vocal music are always close to my heart, he continues.
The international opera festival held in July–August is one of the key European music events. It is known for its floating outdoor stage built on the lake. A total of four opera productions are performed in Bregenz every year, as well as e.g. concerts and spoken word theatre.
Paasikivki’s new position includes, among other things, software design, responsibility for artistic quality, and the administrative tasks of the general director. The five-year contract will continue until 2029.
Lilli Paasikivi’s ten-year period as artistic director of the Finnish National Opera ends at the end of July 2023. Along with artistic content planning, she has boldly renewed the operation of the opera, the opera’s press release says.
– I am grateful for my years at the National Opera. It is enormously inspiring to work in this dynamic and competent work community. I came to the house as a trainee soloist in 1995 and 28 years later I am leaving as its artistic director. Together, we have created impressive content for large audiences and developed the entire industry, says Paasikivi.