Sound Designer

Depicting the wide web of trauma left in the wake of a school shooting, the late, great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s final opera is a raw and unflinching cri de coeur in response to the senseless violence of our modern age. Captivating with its eerie, darkly beautiful sound-world and diverse vocal styles, ranging from traditional opera to expressionistic speak-singing to Scandinavian folk music, Innocence, with libretto by prominent Finnish author Sofi Oksanen, was greeted upon its 2021 premiere by awestruck reviews and hailed as “completely exhilarating” (The New York Times), “a modern masterpiece” (The Telegraph). For its Met premiere—in Simon Stone’s powerfully direct original production—the cast is anchored by mezzo- soprano Joyce DiDonato and Finnish ethno-pop singer Vilma Jää as a grieving mother and the daughter she lost in the shooting, as well as soprano Jacquelyn Stucker and tenor Miles Mykkanen as a young couple whose wedding, a decade after the tragedy, uncovers buried secrets and reopens old wounds. Maestro Susanna Mälkki, a close friend and collaborator of Saariaho’s, conducts what she calls “one of the most important works of our time.”

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Innocence

Lincoln Center

The libretto is by Sofi Oksanen – recipient of the Nordic Council Literature Prize – and by Aleksi Barrière, whose text lends piercing clarity to the music of the late Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho in her final opera. The production is directed by the Australian Simon Stone, bringing together a remarkable creative team that guides the audience through a raw, nightmarish reflection on the senseless gun violence of our time – at the very heart of The Opera House.

The Royal Danish Playhouse

Nocturno is the new collaborative work by contemporary circus company Circo Aereo and contemporary music ensemble defunensemble – a multidimensional journey into the erratic world of dreams, carried by the hypnotic movement of the body and a rich sonic landscape.

Sound Designer

Timo Kurkikangas

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 11 - Nov 6, 2026

Innocence · Det Kongelige Teater

22 - 24 Apr, 2027

Nocturno · Finnish National Opera and Ballet

Past events

6 - 29 Apr, 2025

Innocence · The Metropolitan Opera

About

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