The VI Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition attracted large audiences at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall, the Finnish National Opera and the Madetoja Hall in Oulu. It was also followed widely on the Internet.
The four Semifinals sessions at the 645-seat Sibelius Academy Concert Hall were all sold out, as were the Final at the 1342-seat Finnish National Opera on August 12 and the Prize-winners’ Concert at the 816-seat Madetoja Hall in Oulu on August 14. The Master Classes given by members of the Jury likewise attracted a record turnout. “The organisation all ran smoothly, and we have received many favourable comments about this,” reports the competition’s Executive Secretary, Marja-Leena Pétas. “We put a lot of effort into our website, and this year, for the first time, the competition could be followed by people all over the world. The standard of the competition was high, so from the organisers’ point of view, we have many reasons to be satisfied.”
Record Internet audience, too
The Mirjam Helin Competition was widely followed on the Internet, too. On the liveliest days, thousands visited the front page of the official website at www.mirjamhelin.fi, not only in Finland but also in Germany, the United States, Russia, the UK, France and elsewhere.
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) transmitted its radio and TV coverage both live and recorded to all parts of the world on YLE Areena and the programme series was YLE Areena’s sixth most popular during the competition period, August 3-12. Viewers in the United States, Russia, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and elsewhere could thus tune into the competition via YLE Areena. The Finnish Broadcasting Company recorded and broadcast the Mirjam Helin Competition in collaboration with the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Next Mirjam Helin Competition in 2014
Taking part in the VI Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition were 49 young singers. The Preliminary Round on August 3-8 was followed by the Semifinals on August 8-9 and the Final on August 12. The prize for women went to Russian soprano Yulia Lezhneva and that for men to Korean bass Kihwan Sim. The next Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition will be held in Helsinki in 2014.