History Of The Opera Festival
The history of the Savonlinna Opera Festival can be traced back to 1912. The Finnish soprano Aino Ackté hit upon the idea to use the castle of Olavinlinna as a venue for an opera festival after she attended a nationalist meeting there. Aino Ackté had a strong patriotic sentiment, which gave her pride in the emerging identity of Finland and the visionary decided to harness the power of the opera as an instrumental part of the nascent national identity. In the first five summer seasons when the Savonlinna Opera Festival was conceived, Aino Ackté organized four Finnish opera productions.
The coming of the First World War had a devastating effect on the growth and progress of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The financial problems and civil war affecting the country had a debilitating effect on the recently begun opera festival and the festival was shut down for around forty years.
The Savonlinna Opera Festival was restarted in 1967 when the Savonlinna Music Days chose to start an opera course for music students. To announce the rebirth of the opera festival a show was planned with a production of Beethoven’s Fidelio and the show comprised both music stars of international fame and repute as well as students of music. The show was held in the courtyard of the castle and was a grand success.
As the fame and splendour and popularity of the Savonlinna Opera Festival spread, it transformed from a weeklong event to one that is organized for a full month (July) every year and is an event of international repute and popularity.
The Festival In The Present Times
The Savonlinna Opera Festival has become one of the most prominent music events in the world. The festival is organized all through the month of July and around 60,000 people from all over the world visit Finland during this month to attend the festival. Home productions are organized while visiting foreign companies also showcase their talents during the festival.
Treat yourself to some of the finest musical talents in the world by attending a performance at the Savonlinna Opera Festival by planning a holiday in Finland in the summer with the Baltic Travel Company.