Mon 7 August 2023 • 1 p.m. event stage of Lahti Market
A singing event for the public and the opening of the Lahti Organ Festival
The opening of the Lahti Organ Festival is traditionally a large public singing event, which takes place in the Kauppatori event area in Lahti. The general theme of the festival this year is WATER. Between the songs, the festival will be opened by Pauli Pietiläinen, director of Lahti Organ Festival and Heikki Mäkinen of the Vesijärvi Foundation will also give a speech.
After the public singing event, the second part of the Organ Whistle Precision Throwing World Championships will be organized!
Participation in the competition takes place on site. Welcome to the competition!
Free entry!
Mon 7 August 2023 • 7 p.m. The Church of the Cross, Lahti
“Growing from small streams to a mighty river”
Organist Liisa Aaltola, specializing in Bach, is turning her focus to Handel this time. The concert begins with a medley of orchestral music composed by Handel, the king of the rivers, arranged for the organ. As part of the organ arrangements, we will also hear the journey of the Moldau River, from two small springs to a mighty stream, in Bedřich Smetana’s symphonic poem “Vltava” from the cycle “Má vlast” – My Homeland.
There will also be some Bach (which means “stream” in Finnish) in store: the final fugue from J.S. Bach’s “The Art of Fugue,” in which the counter-subject features the notes B-A-C-H, followed by Liszt’s Prelude and Fugue on the same theme to complete the musical journey.
Tue 8 August 2023 • 7 p.m. The Church of the Cross, Lahti > The program will be published in the next few days!
Wed 9 August 2023 • 2 p.m. The Church of the Cross, Lahti > The program will be published in the next few days!
Wed 9 August 2023 • 7 p.m. The Church of the Cross, Lahti > The program will be published in the next few days!
Thu 10 August 2023 • 7 p.m. Sibelius Hall, Lahti
Night at the Opera
”The Elements of Water”
From Richard Wagner’s opera ”Flying Dutchman” to the musical ”Singin’ in the Rain” – Night at the Opera 2023 is the highlight of Lahti Organ Festival. It takes us on a journey through water-themed operas and musical melodies, as well as the most beloved gems of lied music.
We hear wonderful performances by opera singers who present the different forms of water. Erkki Korhonen, the former CEO of the National Opera, hosts and accompanies the concert on the piano. The organ is played by the young super talent Arttu Selonen.
On stage we will see: Mari Karjalainen, soprano; Pilvi-Annukka Äikäs, mezzo-soprano; Jere Hölttä, tenor; Jussi Vänttinen, baritone; Henri Uusitalo, bass; Arttu Selonen, organ; and Erkki Korhonen, presenter and piano player.
