The Finnish National Opera and Ballet

We provide opera and ballet performances as well as other activities for people of all ages. Visiting performances, school operas, performance recordings and live broadcasts, as well as television and radio, have brought this event to Finland and around the world.

In terms of the number of employees, we are a medium-sized opera and ballet troupe. There are approximately 550 monthly paying employees from over 30 countries. There are 53 opera performers (solo and choir), 74 dancers (plus 13 youth performers), and 111 orchestral performers in the performance. In addition, a large number of domestic and foreign audiences were heard and seen during the performance. The opera house has also hired top experts in various craft fields, from shoemakers to metalworkers.

Every year, we usually bring four new opera premieres and three ballet premieres. In addition, we will present works previously included in the repertoire, so our program changes every week. During the performance season, we can see up to dozens of different works. In addition to well-known classic works, we also perform new operas and dances, especially novel works from China.

The only professional opera house in Finland began operating in 1911, and the ballet company was established in 1922. For a long time, the Alexander Theater has been a performance venue, until its modern opera house was opened in 1993

Decades of opera and ballet

The roots of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet can be traced back to the autonomous period of the 1870s, when the Grand Duchy of Finland first conducted regular opera activities. The operation only lasted for a few years, but it ushered in a new beginning in the 1910s when the Kotimainen Opera House made its first performance at the Aleksanteri Theater.

Opera and ballet from ancient times to the present

In our Encore performance database, you can find information on all performances of the National Opera and Ballet since 1911. This database includes information such as the author of the work and all the roles performed.

The photo of Princess Lussus in 1928, taken by Atelier Ortho

The Finnish National Opera Ballet School is a national educational institution dedicated to teaching classical ballet, providing high-level, multifunctional basic art education and training for dance artists to meet the needs of the Finnish National Ballet. And other Finnish and international dance arts.

Stage24 brings you an experience

With Stage24 services, we can provide opera and ballet performances and other content to the entire Finland and even the world.

We collaborate with Yle and have international partnerships with European cultural channels Arte and OperaVision online services.