The IXth Mirjam Helin Singing Competition will take place in Helsinki between 3-12 June 2024. The preliminaries will be arranged in the R building of the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, and the semi-finals and finals in the Helsinki Music Centre (Musiikkitalo). The orchestra for the competition is the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

The competition is open to all singers born 1992 or later. The competition is known for demanding a broad repertoire (Baroque music, Lied, opera) while at the same time allowing great liberty in the choice of music.

The programme does not include any obligatory compositions or composers. The semi-finals do, however, include a song by a Finnish composer. There is a Special Prize for the best performance by a non-Finnish singer of a Finnish song.

The registration for the competition will begin in the autumn of 2023.

”A broad repertoire is essential for a singer”

The chair of the jury will be the opera singer Soile Isokoski. In 2009, she was a member of the jury.

According to Isokoski, the primary task of the chair is to promote a sound ethos and open atmosphere among the jury. “In my opinion, every young singer should attend a few competitions. It’s a great way of putting yourself to the test: how you keep your cool and where you stand in the crowd”, she says. “Preparing for the competition is great as such, because a broad repertoire is essential for a singer.”

The past juries of the Mirjam Helin competition have consisted of accomplished singers only, which is not a standard practice in competitions. Former Mirjam Helin jurors include such world-class names as Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Nathalie Stutzmann, and Robert Holl, and renowned Finns such as Tom Krause and Jorma Hynninen. 

Indeed, the chairman of the Jury regards the competitors as fellow singers and colleagues.

”I have the feeling that young singers are hoping for a contact with more experienced singers. I have tried to lower the threshold and to show that our task is to reach for them, not to judge them from above”, says Jorma Silvasti.

This time, there was a record number of applications for the Mirjam Helin competition. The competitors chosen represent all four corners of the globe.

”You would think that as the number of applicants grew there would also be greater differences. But it was not so! It is clear that no matter the continent, the interest in singing and the quality of education have been increasing immensely.”

The unprecedented number of applicants also reveals the growing international fame of the Mirjam Helin competition, something the chairman of the Jury is very proud of. According to him, the level of the 2019 competiton is very tight and even.

”We don’t have a clear favourite this time. Every finalist is a winner anyway, and every competitor has had his or her own strengths.”

The Jury was quite unanimous about the semifinalists, but as always, the list of the finalists was a tricky question.

”It’s all part of a music competition. But now, every finalist has earned their place”, says Silvasti.

It has been typical for Mirjam Helin competitions that not only the winners but all of the finalists have been embarking to great careers. Jorma Silvasti wishes that in the future the competition could help its singers even more and in a more comprehensive way, also in between the competitions.

”The competition is personalized in Mirjam Helin – a great human being who gave so much of her own life to others. I hope the competition will continue to support these young singers the way Mirjam did – that is our role.”