The Mikkeli Music Festival is a classic music festival organised in Mikkeli every summer. The music festival was organised for the first time in 1992 as a small-scale chamber music event. Since then, it has grown into a versatile festival with a rich programme including numerous accompanying events. The festival programme includes classical symphony concerts, opera concerts, solo recitals, chamber music and many other virtuosic performances of world-class musicians.
From 1993 to 2022, the General Director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Conductor Valery Gergiev, worked as the Artistic Director of the Mikkeli Music Festival. After the cooperation with the Mariinsky Theater ended in 2022, the Mikkeli Music Festival signed a unique contract with Philharmonia Orchestra until 2026. The Prinpicapl Conductor or the orchestra is Santtu-Matias Rouvali.
This cooperation has contributed to Mikkeli Music Festival becoming a regenerated festival, which continues to grow into an internationally significant classic music event. The festival programme is full of masterful concerts and performances by the world's leading soloists and orchestras. In 2023, the festival guests are able to enjoy concerts already from week 25 in June onwards, the actual festival week beginning July 28.
Finland Festivals nominated the Mikkeli Music Festival as the Festival of the Year 2023 in recognition of its phenomenal renewal and wonderful, versatile programme full of concerts by world-class performers both from Finland and abroad, as well as for the On the Move! events.
Mikkeli Music Festival is a classic music festival run by the Mikkeli Music Festival Support Association. Mikko Leppänen acts as Festival Manager and Erkki Lasonpalo as Artistic Director. The festival organisation is led by Board consisting of eight members, Markus Tykkyläinen as Chairman. The four-member management team makes motions to the Board. Each year, 30-50 volunteers work in various roles to build the festival.
