Based on video pre-screening, the Mirjam Helin competition selected 56 out of 485 applicants for the competition in Helsinki next June. Altogether 61 nationalities were represented among the applicants.
Soile Isokoski, opera singer and chair of the Mirjam Helin competition jury is delighted to see that the competition attracted such highly promising and talented singers.
“Naturally, the first criterion is the applicant’s voice, but this is just the starting point. We look for singers who perform the music as it is intended but who also go beyond the notes, bring the song to life and master all the different genres. Verdi and Mozart cannot be sung in the same way,” Isokoski says.
South Korea has the highest number of applicants accepted to the competition, thirteen in total. Four of the competitors are from Finland. The competitors represent 25 nationalities, with participants from countries such as Armenia, Germany, Costa Rica, China, the United States, Croatia and Australia. For a full list of competitors, see mirjamhelin.fi.
The preliminary competition with piano accompaniment will take place from 3 to 6 June 2024. The jury selects 16–20 singers for the semifinals, and six will be eligible for the orchestral finals on 12 June. In the orchestral finals, the singers will perform with the Helsinki Philharmonic, led by Sir Mark Elder.
The jury members are soprano Dawn Upshaw, mezzosoprano Randi Stene, baritone Bo Skovhus, pianist Keval Shah and chair, soprano Soile Isokoski.
The Mirjam Helin competition is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The winner will be awarded the first prize of 50,000 euro; the second prize is 40,000 euro, the third prize 30,000 euro, and the other three finalists will receive 10,000 euro each. The finalists will also have opportunities to perform at Finnish music festivals and with Finnish orchestras.
The Finnish Cultural Foundation has been organizing the international Mirjam Helin competition since 1984. The competition is founded on Mirjam ja Hans Helin’s large donation. Professor Mirjam Helin’s (1911–2006) aim was to establish an international singing competition in Finland and to make it the most prestigious competition globally.
A South African soprano Mercy Malieloa was one of the winners in 2019. Photo: Heikki Tuuli
The application period for the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition begins on Wednesday 25 October 2023 and ends on 4 January 2024. The competition is open to singers born in 1992 or later. There are no compulsory works in the competition, but competitors should choose a wide range of solo songs, as well as oratorio, concert or opera arias. However, all competitors should prepare at least one Finnish composition for their repertoire. The competition jury recommends that the competitors’ choices of repertoire respect the diversity of music makers, including their gender, native country and language.
“It’s great that competitors can build their own repertoires quite freely. This also gives the jury a chance to assess each competitor’s ability to put together a coherent artistic whole”, says the new competition director of the Mirjam Helin Competition, Päivi Loponen-Kyrönseppä.
The chair of the jury, soprano Soile Isokoski. Photo: Milla von Konow
The Mirjam Helin Competition jury, headed by its chair, the soprano Soile Isokoski, hands out cash prizes of up to €190,000. The winner will receive a prize of €50,000.
The event will bring together young, talented singers for nearly two weeks, from 1 to 12 June 2024. The competition expects to receive approximately 500 applications, as for the previous event. The pre-selection jury will choose a maximum of fifty singers from among the applicants, to take part in the preliminary round to be held in Helsinki.
The preliminary round will be held from 3 to 6 June, the semifinals from 7 to 8 June, and the final with an orchestra on 12 June. In the final, the singers will be accompanied by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductor Sir Mark Elder.
Organised by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition has been held every five years since 1984. In the future, the competition will be held every three years.
The Mirjam Helin Competition is made possible by a major donation from Mirjam and Hans Helin. Professor Mirjam Helin (1911–2006) wanted to establish an international singing competition in Finland. Her goal was to make it the most prestigious competition in the world.
For more information and interview requests: competition director Päivi Loponen-Kyrönseppä, paivi.loponen@mirjamhelin.fi, +358505338386
Päivi Loponen-Kyrönseppä took on a new position at the Finnish Cultural Foundation in August, as director of the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition. The next instalment of the event, which ranks among the top classical singing competitions in the world, will take place in June 2024.
When asked about her hobbies, Loponen-Kyrönseppä says that her whole life is about art and culture. Winter swimming and mushrooms are a small exception. “I am a passionate mushroom picker with an unbridled desire to catch mushrooms. I pick mushrooms beyond my needs.”
Loponen-Kyrönseppä says that she highly appreciates the Cultural Foundation’s decision to invest even more effort into the competition. She also finds the foundation that funds arts and sciences an otherwise enjoyable workplace.
“Especially in these times of great uncertainty globally, domestically and in cultural spheres, it feels wonderful to be working for the greater good.”
Loponen-Kyrönseppä has been involved with music since childhood, having started the violin at the age of seven.
At some point she began to dream of a career in music, and was accepted into the Sibelius Academy. While studying music education and classical vocal arts, she also began to teach and to work as a journalist. She established the opera company Skaala with some of her fellow students in 1996.
“We suddenly realised we could do opera independently. We commissioned our first opera from composer Juha T. Koskinen and produced it ourselves. I chaired Opera Skaala for seven years, which was a really deep dive into building, funding and developing an artistic organisation.”
Having always also carried out other work in the music business in addition to singing, Loponen-Kyrönseppä felt increasingly drawn to that.
“Very few people in Finland make a living out of singing, so many combine performing with vocal teaching, for example. I wasn’t interested in teaching, so I started to work as a music journalist, first for local papers, then Helsingin Sanomat newspaper and, from 2003, for the Finnish Broadcasting Corporation (Yle).”
This was followed by stints leading Vantaa Pops Orchestra and the Savoy Theatre. Since then, she has utilised her performer’s instinct in tasks such as presenting.
Being asked about leisure pursuits, Loponen-Kyrönseppä answers that her life revolves around art and culture, the only exceptions being ice swimming and mushroom picking..
“I am passionate about mushrooms, with an intense drive to forage. I pick more mushrooms than I need.”
Loponen-Kyrönseppä’s work experience serves her well in her new role as singing competition director.
“As a singer, I am aware of the special characteristics of the singing world. A competition such as this is not only about skill but also involves matters of taste. Sometimes it’s about identifying future potential. Sensitivity is important,” she says. Managing a singing competition requires even more organisational skills, however, and she has amassed some of those while running various musical institutions.
Meanwhile, thanks to her background as a journalist, Loponen-Kyrönseppä finds it easy to approach people, including global superstars, without hesitation.
The Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition is among Finland’s finest vocal contests, and it is also highly valued abroad. While being highly ranked among professionals, the competition still has some work to do to improve its recognition among the public. How can one get people who are not well versed in classical music to become invested in a contest such as this?
Is it even possible to compete in art? Loponen-Kyrönseppä doesn’t see a conflict in it. Yes, it is about skill and talent, but ultimately the crucial thing is for the artist to win over the audience’s hearts.
“Besides a good voice and a fine musical ear, a singer must have persistence, tenacity and good luck. Competitions are an excellent opportunity for singers to introduce themselves, and for audiences to discover new talents.”
The director feels that the best singers are not only competent vocalists but also smart, deep, interested in the outside world, and keen on continuous self-development.
Many singing competitions have scrapped having separate categories for men and women, and the next instalment of the Mirjam Helin Competition will do the same. The world’s diverse range of genders and human voices is more highly valued than before.
“Of course on the stage, particularly the opera, gender fluidity has always been a thing – just think about trouser roles, where male parts are played by a mezzo-sopranos or contraltos, or older works where all the roles were played by male adults or children. Not to mention the parts written for countertenor or castrati.”
The Finnish Cultural Foundation has organised the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition every five years since 1984, based on a major donation made to the foundation by singer and professor Mirjam Helin (1911–2006) in 1981.
The competition cycle will now be shortened to once every three years.
It has been an established part of the competition to arrange home accommodation for the contestants. Whether this can continue is currently under consideration.
“Accommodation hosts become involved in the competition in quite a unique way, and for many contestants this form of housing adds a whole new dimension to the experience. An entire community springs up around the event. I warmly encourage people to apply to be hosts and to enjoy the ambience of the competition!”
What is The Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition?
The Finnish Cultural Foundation has arranged the competition since 1984. From 2024 onward, it will take place every three years.
The IX Mirjam Helin Competition will take place in Helsinki between 3 and 12 June 2024.
The total prize money is EUR 190,000.
You can subscribe to the competition newsletter at mirjamhelin.fi.
“The standard of the applicants was excellent,” says the competition’s Executive Director Marja-Leena Pétas-Arjava. “It is also noticeable that top-flight singers clearly cover a wider front than they did 5–10 years ago. They show that interest in opera and Western art music has spread, and reflect the speed with which these genres have been appropriated.”
The competition was open to women born in 1989 or later and men born in 1987 or later, regardless of nationality. The application deadline was 31 December 2018. A total of €173,000 will be awarded in prizes. The four best men and four best women will each receive a prize.
The Mirjam Helin Competition will be held in Helsinki, Finland from 20 to 29 May 2019. The finalists on 29 May will be performing with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hannu Lintu.The Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) will be giving the competition wide coverage.
Key competition assets reputation, Jury and prizes
The number of applicants for the Mirjam Helin Competition was 46% up on the figure for the previous s in 2014. Executive Director Marja-Leena Pétas-Arjava reckons the fantastic growth can be attributed to the rise in the competition’s worldwide reputation, the prestigious Jury, the repertoire that, though demanding, permits considerable freedom, and the big prizes.
The members of the all-singer Jury are impressive stars of the world of singing: Olaf Bär, Ben Heppner, Vesselina Kasarova, François Le Roux, Waltraud Meier, Deborah Polaski, Kiri Te Kanawa and Jorma Silvasti (Chairman). For many of the competitors, the feedback they receive from a singer they admire stands them in good stead for the future.
Competitors by voice register:
Men 34 (3 countertenors, 7 tenors, 20 baritones, 2 bass-baritones and 2 basses) Women 28 (2 coloratura sopranos, 20 sopranos and 6 mezzo-sopranos) Attachment: Competitors in the VIII Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition
One of the world’s leading international singing competitions, the Mirjam Helin is intended for the cream of the world’s young singers. The aim of the competition founded by professor, singer and voice teacher Mirjam Helin (1911–2006) is to find the most talented young singers and to give them a major boost in their international career. Many of the prizewinners, such as Elīna Garanča, René Pape and Nadine Sierra, have risen to the top of the world of singing.
The first prize for women in the 2014 competition went to Ukrainian soprano Kateryna Kasper and that for men to Beomjin Kim from South Korea. The Finnish Cultural Foundation has been organising the Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition at five-year intervals since 1984.
