Europe
(151)
Italy
(47)
United Kingdom
(23)
Germany
(21)
France
(15)
Spain
(11)
Austria
(7)
Czech Republic
(7)
Switzerland
(6)
Netherlands
(4)
Finland
(3)
Ireland
(3)
Slovakia
(3)
Croatia
(2)
Greece
(2)
Hungary
(2)
Portugal
(2)
Albania
(1)
Armenia
(1)
Belgium
(1)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
(1)
Bulgaria
(1)
Cyprus
(1)
Estonia
(1)
Georgia
(1)
Malta
(1)
Montenegro
(1)
Norway
(1)
Poland
(1)
Romania
(1)
Serbia
(1)
Denmark
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Sweden
Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Finland
[parent] => Array
(
[name] => Europe
)
)
)
Opera in Helsinki - La bohème and Orfeo ed Euridice
4
days
from
£2,110
Book today with a deposit of
£317
15th - 18th February 2027
Tour highlights
- Two performances in Helsinki’s magnificent bayside opera house.
- 'La bohème': Katariina Lahti’s acclaimed production of Puccini’s enduring classic blends Parisian realism with witty modern touches.
- 'Orfeo ed Euridice': A bold new staging by Tero Saarinen restores dance to the central role in Gluck’s influential masterpiece.
- Includes a private tour of the opera house and a city walk with a local guide. Time is also allowed for Helsinki’s outstanding museums.
Finland’s National Opera House, the setting for both of our performances, occupies a beautiful waterside position on the shores of Töölönlahti, within easy reach of Helsinki city centre. Completed in 1993, it is a glistening structure of white ceramics and Finnish granite which reflects both the clarity of the northern light and the country’s architectural sensibility. Though modern, it stands in dialogue with the legacy of Alvar Aalto and his contemporaries, whose work helped shape much of Helsinki’s distinctive character. The Opera House is just one of a number of recent buildings that have confirmed the Finnish capital’s reputation as a centre of architectural excellence, celebrated in its designation as a World Design Capital.
Although La bohème is one of the most frequently performed operas in the canon, Puccini’s music has such freshness, vitality and poignancy that it invariably enthrals its audiences. Katariina Lahti’s production, first seen in 2014 and frequently revived, has been praised for its characterisation and psychological insight; Mark Väisänen’s sets and Anna Sinkkonen’s costumes honour the realism of Henri Murger’s original novel (this Bohème takes place in recognisably Parisian attics and bars, not in New York or outer space!) but they add witty and surreal modern touches. Croatian soprano Evelin Novak, who has received stellar reviews for her work with Christian Thielemann at the Berlin Staatsoper, sings Mimì.
Orfeo ed Euridice, the 1762 masterpiece by Christoph Willibald Gluck – an operatic pioneer revered by successors as different as Berlioz and Wagner – is presented in a brand-new staging by the internationally renowned Finnish dancer-choreographer Tero Saarinen. With a cast including ten solo dancers, the production promises to restore dance to the central position it played in the opera when it first thrilled Gluck’s Paris audiences in the 1770s. The magic of the underworld will be conjured up with lighting and projections from innovative Finnish designer Mikki Kunttu; the title roles are taken by Polish countertenor Michał Sławecki and multi-award-winning Finnish soprano Sonja Herranen.
Itinerary
Fly mid-morning from London Heathrow to Helsinki (Finnair). Visit Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall (1961–75), a concert and event space celebrating nature and light, re-open again after a period of renovation. There is time to settle into the hotel before dinner.
Morning lecture on this evening’s opera, followed by a guided walk through the Neo-Classical heart of the city: Senate Square, the domed cathedral and the colourful Market Square by the old harbour. Free afternoon; recommended is the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Dinner before the performance at the Finnish National Opera:
La bohème (Giacomo Puccini), Nil Venditti (conductor), Katariina Lahti (director), Markus Nykänen (Rodolfo), Evelin Novak (Mimì), Elsa-Maija Helminen (Musetta), Alik Abdukayumov (Marcello), Waltteri Torikka (Schaunard), Janne Sihvo (Colline), Marko Nykänen (Benoît), Koit Soasepp (Alcindoro), Joonas Orrain (Sergeant), Tuomas Lehtinen (Customs officer), Jasper Leppänen (Vendor).
The morning is free until an early afternoon lecture. Drive to the Finnish National Opera for a private guided tour followed by dinner and an evening opera:
Orfeo & Euridice (Christoph Willibald Gluck), Tero Saarinen (director & choreographer), Michał Sławecki (Orfeo), Suvi Väyrynen (Amore), Sonja Herranen (Euridice).
In the morning visit the Ateneum, Finland’s foremost art museum, which houses a collection of brilliant National Romantic pictures. Continue by coach to the airport and fly to London Heathrow, arriving mid-afternoon.
Expert speaker
Dr Michael Downes OBE
Director of Music at the University of St Andrews, and founding artistic director of Byre Opera. He has lectured for the UK’s leading opera companies and writes notes for Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh Music. Publications include books written both with and about British composer Jonathan Harvey, and a collaboration with Nike Wagner, great-granddaughter of Richard. Story of the Century, his new book on Wagner’s Ring, was published in 2024 by Faber. It was named by Presto Music as one of the five best music books of that year and described by Gramophone magazine as ‘the best introduction to The Ring out there’; it was published in the US in 2025 by Pegasus as Wagner and the Creation of The Ring, and an Italian translation is forthcoming. Michael’s next book will be a biography of Elgar, to be published by Oxford University Press.
More tours led by Dr Michael Downes OBE
Practicalities
Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,410 or £2,110 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,620 or £2,320 without flights.
Travel by private coach; accommodation as described below; breakfasts and 3 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Hotel Haven: smart, boutique hotel close to the harbour. Single occupancy rooms are doubles for sole use.
Participants need to be fit enough to manage the city walk and to cope with everyday stair-climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 13 miles.
Typically between 10 and 24 participants.
First-category tickets to operas are included, costing c. £230 in total. At the time of going to print not all tickets are confirmed.
Dates & prices
GBP Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1vt0q6vb7ap0ggezps0
[published] => 1
[start] => 2027-02-15 00:00:00
[end] => 2027-02-18 00:00:00
[range_type] => Fixed
[version] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr0re06s2ctf0mwy26wt688g
[name] => 2027
)
[inventory] => Array
(
[type] => Allocation
[capacity] => 20
[errata] =>
)
[categories] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[name] => Dr Michael Downes OBE
[description] =>
)
)
[fields] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[__typename] => StringFieldData
[name] => onlinetalk_booking_link
[string] =>
)
[1] => Array
(
[__typename] => StringFieldData
[name] => tb_departure_code
[string] => MN277
)
[2] => Array
(
[__typename] => StringFieldData
[name] => tb_departure_setup_id
[string] => 30246
)
[3] => Array
(
[__typename] => StringFieldData
[name] => tb_link_speakers
[string] => [{"id":79130,"title":"Dr","forename":"Michael","surname":"Downes OBE","type":"Lecturer"}]
)
)
[elements] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1wy3tsz5pr43hc5gfe1
[element] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1fpv4y3g0gtajy503c8
[category] => Array
(
[name] => Tour Space
)
[name] => Tour Space
[published] => 1
[is_package] => 1
)
[prices] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1xz836nm4t27h0hqtch
[currency] => GBP
[value] => 2110
[on_sale] => 1
[previous_value] =>
[deposit] =>
[option] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1jhjd91anv5v86z0w3k
[name] => Tour Space
[category] => Array
(
[name] => Price
)
[constraints] =>
[web_bookable] => 1
[published] => 1
)
)
)
)
[1] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1yay26a4npk7v1x72x3
[element] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1px3rhpxez8xfkdcpbv
[category] => Array
(
[name] => Flights
)
[name] => Flight
[published] => 1
[is_package] => 1
)
[prices] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1z5bz44mhx35hnps7zs
[currency] => GBP
[value] => 900
[on_sale] => 1
[previous_value] =>
[deposit] =>
[option] => Array
(
[id] => 01kr15d1skzbg5cmqmwabf3pc6
[name] => Price
[category] => Array
(
[name] => Price
)
[constraints] =>
[web_bookable] => 1
[published] => 1
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
15th - 18th February 2027
Speaker:
Dr Michael Downes OBE
Price:
from £2,110
(Based on two sharing)Related tours and events
Sign up to our e-newsletter
e-newsletter recipients are the first to hear about our future plans and our tours as they come on sale. By signing up you agree to our Privacy policy.
Or request your free brochure here
My Wishlist
Please note that all saved tours will be removed if you clear your cookies.
Sign up to our e-newsletter
E-newsletter recipients are the first to hear about our future plans and our tours as they come on sale.