cultural activities
18
finnish cultural foundation
annual report 2013–2014
T
ired but immensely happy are
words that describe
Marja-Leena
Pétas
, Executive Director of the
MirjamHelin International Singing Compe-
tition, as she looks back over the seventh
Mirjam Helin Competition held in August
2014. This year, she feels, it was better
than ever before.
“We’ve had glowing reports from far
andwide, fromall over the world, via social
media and by email. It’s very gratifying if a
top jury member says it’s the world’s best
singing competition,” she says. “Everything
suggests that people got a lot from it.”
‘As Mirjam would have wished’ kept
cropping up in conversation. And indeed,
the profile created by its mother is what
makes this competition so special.
“It means it’s more than just a
successful event. Mirjam’s spirit is visible
in little things, to some extent in the under-
lying principles – warm-hearted, people-
oriented yet aiming at the highest possible
standard.” Mirjam Helin specifically wanted the
competition to be a meeting place for
young singers in many ways. The warm,
human touch is manifest in, for example,
the accommodation in private homes, and
the face-to-face feedback from members
of the jury. For a young singer, this may be
the highlight of the competition.
The competitors felt they were all
treated with the same respect, regard-
less of how they placed. The various get-
togethers and the organiser’s tender loving
care were quite an experience for many. A
competition is not about beating others;
it’s a learning experience. “The competi-
tors also appreciated the fact that failing
to get through to the next round was not
the end of the competition for them. Many
stayed on to follow the subsequent rounds,
and to take part in the masterclasses.”
Another attraction was the Singers’
Studio, introduced this year.
Gustav Djup-
with many other international competi-
tions, we’re lucky here in Finland in that
Yle is ready to give music competitions
such wide coverage. Being featured in so
many media has a cumulative effect that
is growing all the time.”
Marja-Leena Pétas has the feeling that
the competition can hardly go on growing
any more in Finland, so the answer is to
look more abroad. The work put in since
2009 and this year’s competition clearly
made the MirjamHelin Competition better
known outside Finland, but Marja-Leena
Pétas reckons that more could still be done.
“This means a lot of hard work, espe-
cially as the competition is held every five
years.”
sjöbacka
interviewed one member of the
jury, star soprano Deborah Voigt, who
talked about her life and answered ques-
tions from the audience.
“I reckon the competitors got a lot from
this,” says Marja-Leena Pétas. “Singers
need to network, and opportunities to
do so.”
Social media a key to
greater visibility
The VII MirjamHelin International Singing
Competitionwas the crowning event of the
75th anniversary of the Finnish Cultural
Foundation. It had, according to Marja-
Leena Pétas, grown significantly since the
previous competition in 2009.
The competition was seen and heard in
many media and was on everybody’s lips
– even those of people who don’t usually
listen to classical music.
“More and more people became aware
of it, not just arts folk but just generally
people who follow the news. Our basic
message, that it is a major event of a high
standard, has clearly etched itself on
people’s minds,” she happily claims.
This is partly due to the various
social media and the unusually strong
presence of the Finnish Broadcasting
Company (Yle). The whole competition
was streamed online, and both the Semi-
finals and the Final were televised live on
the Yle Teema channel.
“Yle also produced studio programmes
on the spot during the intervals and while
we were waiting for the results. So if they
wanted to, listeners could drink up the
Helin atmosphere all the time. Compared
Better than ever
The VII Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition
was the crowning event of the 75th anniversary
of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
"Mirjam Helin specifically wanted the competition to
be a meeting place for young singers."
The competition was seen and heard in
many media and was on everybody’s lips
– even those of people who don’t usually
listen to classical music, Marja-Leena
Pétas happily claims.
