Opera singer says the art form thrives as a social gathering place, not an elite tradition
Estonian opera singer Mart Mikk says opera is far from fading and remains in excellent health, adding that the art form was never meant to be elitist but has always served as a place for social leisure.
Mikk spent his first summer in Savonlinna in 1988 at master classes. "There I understood very clearly that opera is in no way a fading art, but in very good health, and its address is Savonlinna," Mikk said.
The yearly Savonlinna Opera Festival is Finland's premiere cultural event. The month-long festival is held in Olavinlinna, a towering medieval castle by Finland's largest lake. First Savonlinna Opera Festival took place in 1912.
Mikk recalled that in 1992 the Savonlinna Opera Festival choir was disbanded. "The work is quite tough; rehearsal periods last seven weeks in a row. I have counted that with master classes and opera visits combined, I have spent more than a year's worth of days in Savonlinna. I have learned to know that town inside and out," Mikk said.
Former choir director Kyösti Haatanen formed a new choir, and since singing students did not have many opportunities to earn money alongside their studies, it was a good chance. "I went to the choir auditions, got in, and when it turned out there was a dire shortage of tenors, I invited three wonderful tenors from Estonia," Mikk recalled. "The workdays were very long, but people also knew how to relax."
"Opera was never meant to be elitist; it was a place for social leisure. Italians met their guests at the opera," Mikk added.
"I must honestly admit that thanks to the roads of Eastern Finland, I rediscovered my passion for riding a motorcycle. After a long break I bought a motorcycle again, and since then it has become a major hobby alongside opera. By now I have traveled to 40 European countries on a motorcycle," Mikk noted.
According to him, there is indeed a certain charm in visiting music events by motorcycle. "Not only operas; in Estonia the entire theater landscape is very rich. I actually visit more spoken‑theater performances than musical‑theater ones," Mikk noted. "This summer I saw 'Das Rheingold,' and also 'Baskin' in Kiidjärve."
In the summer of 2027, the Estonian National Opera will travel to the Savonlinna Opera Festival as a guest performer. "Estonia was actually the first guest theater from outside Finland to appear at the Savonlinna Opera Festival," Mikk said.
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Argo Ideon
Source: ERR interview by Marge-Ly Rookäär
