Lilli Paasikivi

Lilli Katriina Paasikivi-Ilves (born in 1965 in Imatra, Finland) is a Finnish mezzo-soprano and cultural manager.[1] She served as the Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera from 2013 to 2023 and is currently the Intendant of the Bregenz Festival in Austria.[2][3]

Career

Paasikivi has worked to reshape operatic structures and explore the integration of new technologies into opera. In 2019, Paasikivi launched Opera Beyond – a project designed to apply emerging technological tools to opera and ballet.[4]

As a soloist, she has performed with major orchestras including the Berlin, London, Los Angeles, and New York Philharmonic orchestras.[5][6][7] Her repertoire spans from Rossini's coloratura roles to central parts in Verdi and Wagner operas.[8][9]

At the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, she appeared as the Pèlerin in Kaija Saariaho's L'Amour de loin.[10] At the Aix-en-Provence Festival she sang in the world premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's Hanjo and also performed in Sir Simon Rattle's Ring project with the Berlin Philharmonic as Fricka,[9] a role she later sang at the Hamburg State Opera conducted by Simone Young.[11] The mezzo-soprano roles of Wagner's Ring Cycle have been a central focus of her career, performed with conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Simone Young, Susanna Mälkki, and Hannu Lintu.[12][11][13][14]

In addition to her operatic career, Paasikivi has been active as a festival director. She founded the "Sydänkesän säveliä" festival in Kisko, Southwest Finland, in 2016,[3] and served as artistic director of the Pyhäniemi Manor concert series from 2010 to 2015.[3]

Paasikivi also works internationally as an expert in opera and classical music. She has served on juries of major competitions and, beginning in 2025, is a member of the board of Opera Europa.[15][16]

Awards and honours

Personal life

Paasikivi has been married to violinist Jaakko Ilves since 1997; they have two children.[1]

Partial discography

References

  1. ^ a b Paavilainen, Ulla, ed. (2014). Kuka kukin on: Henkilötietoja nykypolven suomalaisista 2015 [Who's Who in Finland, 2015] (in Finnish). Helsinki: Otava. p. 652. ISBN 978-951-1-28228-0.
  2. ^ "Ooppera | Lilli Paasikivi nimitettiin festivaalijohtajaksi Itävaltaan". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 14 December 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Salazar, David (16 December 2022). "Bregenz Festival Announces New Artistic Director & CEO". OperaWire. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Home". Opera beyond. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Review of 2007 performance at the Proms". Archived from the original on 23 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Esa-Pekka Salonen Leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Three Performances of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde". LA Phil. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  7. ^ Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim (16 January 2015). "Shaking the Rafters With the Thundering Chords of a Monumental Requiem". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Lilli Paasikivi sings Fricka in Japan". harrisonparrott.com. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  9. ^ a b Alan Riding (5 July 2007). "Adding a Roof Raises the Ceiling for a French Festival's Ambitions". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  10. ^ Kaprielian, Maxime (30 November 2001). "L'Amour de loin, l'Ennui de près". ResMusica (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  11. ^ a b "4. Philharmonisches Konzert Lilli Paasikivi – Simone Young". Operabase. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  12. ^ "Mahler: Symphony No. 8 – Symphony of a Thousand". Digital Concert Hall. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  13. ^ "New Chief Conductor Susanna Mälkki opens Helsinki Philharmonic season | HarrisonParrott". harrisonparrott.com. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  14. ^ "Hannu Lintu and Susanna Mälkki conduct at Helsinki Festival". harrisonparrott.com. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  15. ^ "The European Platform supporting innovation in opera and dance". fedora-platform.com. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Board of Directors | Opera Europa". opera-europa.org. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Lilli Paasikivi". techart.fi. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  18. ^ "Finnish Institute of Recorded Sound".
  19. ^ "Ondine catalogue: Joulu tullut on".
  20. ^ "Aria Awards 2012 Nomination Announcement". Archived from the original on 6 October 2012.
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