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Application guidelines

The Mirjam Helin Academy held a supplementary application round in the spring of 2026. The next application period will be in the spring of 2027.

Application 2026

One or two new students will be selected for the Mirjam Helin Academy through the supplementary application process in spring 2026. 

Application schedule

  • The application period begins on Thursday 12 February 2026 at 09:00 (Finnish time, UTC+2). 
  • The application period ends on Thursday 5 March 2026 at 16:00 (Finnish time, UTC+2). 
  • Those accepted to the live auditions will be notified by email by 26 March 2026. 
  • The live auditions will be held in Helsinki from 16 to 19 April 2026.
  • A pianist will be provided by the Mirjam Helin Academy. Travel expenses for applicants from outside the Helsinki metropolitan area will be reimbursed up to a value of €300. 
  • The results will be announced on 28 April 2026.  
  • The Mirjam Helin Academy is a two-year programme. For students selected this spring, it will run from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2028. During the first year of the programme, an assessment will be made as to whether the student will progress to the second year of the academy.   

Who can apply?

  • All singers or singer students residing in Finland, or Finnish singers or singing students residing abroad are welcome to apply.
  • No specific previous degrees are required. 
  • No age limit. However, the older the applicant, the more professional experience we expect them to have.  
  • The application is intended for singers who aim to pursue an international career either now or in the future. 
  • You may already be at the start of your international career but need top-level teaching and coaching to take it to the next level. 

We expect the applicants to have

  • Strong motivation, a goal-oriented study approach, and a desire and time to focus on studies at the Mirjam Helin Academy.
  • Excellent singing voice and musicality.

What we offer

  • High-level international teaching
  • Access to international professional networks 
  • Mentorship and mental coaching  
  • An individualised study plan 
  • Teaching at the Mirjam Helin Academy, accommodation and travel  

The programme covers singing technique, vocal coaching, language skills and phonetics, communication and media skills, repertoire, text analysis, performance skills, practical skills within the music business, audition coaching, body awareness and mind control. Each student is also given the opportunity to plan and perform their own concert programme and create an audition video.

  • Languages of instruction: English and Finnish. Teaching takes place mainly in extended weekend courses and summer camps in various locations across Finland. There are 5–8 teaching periods per year. 

Teching periods in 2026:
2–7 September, 24–30 October and 11–15 December.

Teaching periods in 2027:
In 2027, teaching periods will take place 24–29 January, 10–15 March and during the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition 5–19 June.

In addition, two other teaching periods will be held in January–February 2027. The teaching periods for 2027 and 2028 will be confirmed later.

Who is the Academy suitable for?

  • Singing students with an excellent work ethic who aim to reach a high international standard in the near future.
  • It is also suitable for professional singers who want to learn more about singing and role building, as well as receive coaching in areas such as the music business, career planning, repertoire building and international networking.

Application Instructions

Phase One

The application period starts 12 February 2026 at 9.00 AM (Finnish time, UTC +2) and ends 5 March 2026 at 4 PM (Finnish time, UTC +2). Applications must be submitted in English via the Embark system, which will open when the application period begins. Please note that all attachments must be submitted via an electronic form in Embark by the application deadline. Late applications will not be processed.

The initial application must contain the following elements, which should be submitted as attachments to the electronic application.

  • A video of the applicant performing two songs in different styles and languages, accompanied by piano or another instrument. 
  • A video of your motivational speech, given in English. The recommended lenght for the motivational speech is 1-3 minutes. Please answer the following questions in the video:  
    • What do you want to learn at the Mirjam Helin Academy? 
    • What is your professional dream? Where would you like to be in three years?  
    • A video of the applicant performing two songs in different styles and languages, accompanied by piano or another instrument.
  • A short CV in English, up to 2000 characters. The CV should include the following information: 
    • Previous musical studies. 
    • Other studies. 
    • Most significant performance or achievement in the music field. 
  • Possible recommendations: 
    • Recommendations may come from singing teachers or other music professionals. 

Phase Two

Some of the applicants from the first stage will be selected for the second stage live auditions in Helsinki 16-19 April 2026.

Live auditions

Applicants should prepare two songs with piano accompaniment in different styles and languages. Based on the audition, some of the singers will be selected for a workshop, where their performance, learning, and collaboration skills will be assessed. In addition, some of the applicants will be interviewed on the last day of the selection process.

  1. Day 1: Audition
    Qualifying round 
  2. Day 2: Workshop
    Qualifying round 
  3. Day 3: Interviews 

Application guidance

Frequently Asked Questions

Helianna Herkkola

executive producer

Mirjam Helin Competition

Call: Helianna Herkkola +358 9 6128 1134