THE SUGAR FACTORY 2026 to Premiere Four New Finnish Operas at Almi Hall
Twelve artists developed the works with mentors including Royce Vavrek and Jonathan Dove.
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet is set to present the premieres of four new short opera works at Almi Hall, marking the culmination of the first year of THE SUGAR FACTORY - New Opera Works programme. Financed by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the initiative was created to support the development of new opera in Finland, and the four works will be performed one after another in a single evening under the title THE SUGAR FACTORY 2026.
The Sugar Factory's first season is complete. Over the course of a year, twelve artists - four composers, four librettists and four directors - have developed their new works with the support of mentors, international experts and the artistic staff of the Finnish National Opera. The creative process has included workshops, working on dramaturgy and composition, experiments in performance, and conversations about what new opera can be today. No previous experience of making opera was required of the artists selected for The Sugar Factory, which in itself has freed up the creative process.
'One of the most interesting aspects of The Sugar Factory is the artists' genuine desire to bring out fresh perspectives, unburdened by tradition. Our job is to listen to them and support them,' says Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera.
Twelve artists - four composers, four librettists and four directors - developed the works over the course of a year with guidance from mentors including directors Martin Lloyd-Evans and Olivia Fuchs, librettist Royce Vavrek, composers Jonathan Dove and Lynne Plowman, and conductor Dominic Wheeler. Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera, said the programme was designed to let artists bring out fresh perspectives unburdened by tradition.
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