Laura Åkerlund Explained

Laura Åkerlund
Birth Date:	1987
Birth Place:	Helsinki, Finland
Nationality:	Finnish
Occupation:	Opera stage director, Pianist
Education:	Master’s degree in Musicology (Helsinki University), Opera Stage Directing (Sibelius-Academy), Theater Studies (Freie Universität Berlin), Management and International Business (Aalto University)
Known For:	Finalist for Directrice Générale at Opéra de Lyon (2019), Finalist for Directrice Générale at Opéra National de Bordeaux (2021), Founder and Director of Comic Opera Helsinki Himmerrä ja Valo (Musica Nova Helsinki, 2011) Aallonharjalla (Malmitalo, Helsinki, 2011) La Traviata (Putikon Hovi, 2015) Eugen Onegin (St. Petersburg and Punkaharju, Finland, 2015) Halka (Helsinki Opera Festival, 2018) The Red Line (Kemi City Orchestra, 2018)
Awards:	Best stage direction, best-leading performance (La Traviata, 2015)

Laura Åkerlund (born 1987 in Helsinki, Finland)^[1] is a Finnish opera stage director and pianist.^[2] In 2019, she was a finalist for the position of Directrice Générale at the Opéra de Lyon,^{[3] [4] [5]} and in 2021, she was a finalist for the same position at the Opéra National de Bordeaux.^[6]

Biography

Åkerlund began piano lessons at the age of six and completed her studies privately at the Helsinki Conservatory. She went on to earn a Master of Musicology degree from Helsinki University. She also studied Opera Stage Directing at the Sibelius Academy, Theater Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, and Management and International Business at Aalto University. She speaks multiple languages, including Finnish, English, Swedish, German, and French.^[7]

She is the founder and director of the newest opera house in Finland, Helsingin Koominen Ooppera (Comic Opera Helsinki), inspired by the traditions of Opéra Comique in Paris and Komische Oper in Berlin.^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} The aim of the opera house is to present opera to new audiences and to produce experimental productions in unusual locations. In 2017, Comic Opera Helsinki produced the first immersive opera ever performed in Finland with Vixen. The opera was a co-production between Silent Opera and the Helsinki Festival and took place in an old train station.^{[12] [13]}

Productions

As stage director

• 2011: Heta Aho: Himmerrä ja Valo, Musica Nova Helsinki.^[14]
• 2011: Musical: Aallonharjalla. Malmitalo, Helsinki.
• 2015: Verdi: La Traviata. The 3rd International Music Festival Putikon Hovi. Winner in the following categories: Best stage direction, best-leading performance
• 2015: Pjotr Tšaikovski: Eugen Onegin. St. Petersburg and Punkaharju Finland.
• 2018: Stanisław Moniuszko: Halka. Helsinki Opera Festival, Comic Opera Helsinki (Helsingin Koominen Ooppera).^[15]
• 2018: Aulis Sallinen: The Red Line. Kemi City Orchestra.^{[16] [17] [18]}

As assistant stage director and stage manager

• 2006: Haydn: L’Isola disabitata. Finnish Chamber Opera. Assistant stage director and Stage Manager.
• 2006: Aulis Sallinen: The Red Line, Fredrik Pacius: Kung Karls Jakt & Tchaikovsky: Eugen Onegin. Stage director trainee, Finnish National Opera.
• 2007: Ilkka Kuusisto: Risto Ryti - vapauden vanki. Production assistant, Finnish Chamber Opera.
• 2007: Seppo Pohjola: Kaksi kamarioopperaa rakkaudesta. Assistant stage director, Stage Manager. Helsinki festival & Turun Musiikkijuhlat.
• 2008: Händel: Acis ja Galatea. Assistant Stage director and Stage Manager. Finnish Chamber Opera. Stage director Vilppu Kiljunen.
• 2009: Haydn: Il mondo della luna. Assistant stage director. Kulttuuritalo Gloria. Stage director Ville Saukkonen.
• 2009: Gustav Holst: The Planets. Stage Manager, video art live coordinator. Helsingin Juhlaviikot. Helsinki City Orchestra, conductor John Storgårds. Video artist Petri Ruikka.
• 2012: Richard Wagner: Tristan ja Isolde. Assistant Stage Manager. Helsinki Festival (Helsingin Juhlaviikot) & Baltic Sea Festival Stockholm. RSO, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Stage director Peter Sellars.
• 2013: Mozart: Don Giovanni. Assistant stage director and stage manager. New Generation Opera, Helsinki Festival (Helsingin Juhlaviikot). Stage director Erik Söderblom.
• 2013: Miika Hyytiäinen: La Figure de la Terre. Assistant Stage director and Stage Manager. Sophiensaele Berlin. Stage director Jaakko Nousiainen.
• 2014: Miika Hyytiäinen: Aikainen 3D Opera. Grimeborn Festival for New Opera, London. Stage director Jaakko Nousiainen.
• 2014: Birke J. Bertelsmeier: Querelle. Deutsche Oper Berlin. Stage director Tilman Hecker.
• 2015: Richard Strauss: Salome. Stage director Kirill Serebrennikov. Oper Stuttgart. Richard Ayres: Peter Pan.
• 2015: Seppo Pohjola: Harrbådan neito & Sibelius: Neito tornissa. Assistant stage director and Stage Manager. Stage director Aku-Petteri Pahkamäki. West Coast Kokkola Opera (Kokkolan Oopperakesä).
• 2015: Puccini: Gianni Schicci & Béla Bartók: Herzog Blaubarts Burg. Komische Oper Berlin. Stage director Calixto Bieito.
• 2016: Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Stage director David Bösch. Fromental-Halévy: La Juive. Stage director Calixto Bieito. Bayerische Staatsoper.
• 2016: Heinz-Juhani Hoffmann: Ahti Karjalainen : elämä, Kekkonen ja teot. Reprise direction, stage director Juha Hurme. West Coast Kokkola Opera (Kokkolan Oopperakesä).

TV work

• 2008: Risto Ryti - vapauden vanki DVD-studio recording of Finnish chamber opera, directed by Ilkka Kuusisto.
• 2009: Talo Ranskassa French language learning programme. Produced by YLE Teema.

Other work

• 2018: Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe: Wagnerstimmen-singing competition final, member of the jury.
• 2018: Kyiv, Ukraine: Theaterfestival GRA - competition, member of the jury.
• 2019-2020: Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe: member of the executive team and Head of Dramaturgy.^{[19] [20] [21]}
• 2020-2023: Theater Dortmund, Academy for Theatre and Digitality, member of the Jury

Notes and References

1. Web site: Taulavuori . Riitta . Ooppera tuo agitaation Kemiin - Punaisen viivan teemat ovat ohjaajan mukaan edelleen ajankohtaisia . Kaleva . Kaleva Media . 22 March 2018 . fi.
2. Web site: Tilli . Inari . Interview with Laura Åkerlund (in Finnish) . Yle Kantapöytä . Yle . 2016-03-02.
3. News: Anastasio . Sofia . Dernière ligne droite pour le choix du futur directeur de l'Opéra de Lyon . 2023-12-30 . Musiques – Actualité musicale . France Musique . Radio France . 2019-10-04.
4. News: Broquet . Sébastien . Richard Brunel est le nouveau directeur de l'Opéra de Lyon . 2023-12-30 . Le petit Bulletin . Agence Tintamarre Lyon . Petit Bulletin . 2019-10-22.
5. News: Capron . Stéphane . Qui pour diriger l'Opéra de Lyon ? . 2023-12-30 . Sceneweb.fr . Sceneweb . 2019-10-03.
6. News: Hondermarck . Maximilien . Natalie Dessay n'est plus dans la course à l'Opéra de Bordeaux . 2023-12-30 . Forumopera . Forumopera - Le magasin du monde lyrique . 2021-04-19.
7. Web site: Laura Åkerlund, Executive producer, Stage director Æviágrip . 2024-01-16 . Operabase . is.
8. News: HS . Kulttuuri Lyhyesti . Helsingin koominen ooppera aloittaa Punahilkalla . 2023-12-30 . Helsingin Sanomat . Sanoma Finland . Sanoma Finland . 2016-09-16.
9. News: Puukangas . Suvi . Puheen Iltapäivä: Koomisen Oopperan johtaja: "Diivojen aika on ohi" . 2023-12-30 . Yle Radio . Yle . Yle Radio . 2016-09-07.
10. News: Mattila . Mattias . Suomi sai uuden oopperatalon – aikoo uudistaa käsityksen oopperasta . 2023-12-30 . Yle Uutiset . Yle . Yle Uutiset . 2016-08-08.
11. News: Kytöharju . Marjo . Koomisen oopperan kintereillä . 2023-12-30 . Kirkko ja kaupunki . K&k-media . 2016-12-12.
12. News: Tiikkaja . Samuli . Klassikko-oopperan ovelasta ketusta tuli koditon tyttö, jota yleisö seuraa läpi esitystilan . 2023-12-30 . Helsingin Sanomat . Sanoma Finland . Sanoma Finland . 2017-08-18.
13. News: Kuusisaari . Harri . Arvio: Ennenkokematon oopperakonsepti on Juhlaviikkojen parasta antia . 2023-12-30 . Rondo-lehti . Rondo-lehti . Rondo-lehti . 2017-08-19.
14. News: Lampila . Hannu-Ilari . 2011-02-08 . Säveltäjätytön mielenmaisema . 2023-12-30 . Helsingin Sanomat . Sanoma Finland . Sanoma Finland.
15. News: Hautsalo . Liisamaija . Kulttuuritalossa kuultiin kelpo matkalaukkuversio oopperaharvinaisuudesta, joka on myös puolalaisten kansallinen symboli . 2018-08-23 . Helsingin Sanomat . Sanoma Finland . Sanoma Finland.
16. News: Nuutinen-Kallio . Taina . 2018-03-21 . Punainen viiva on suuri merilappilainen voimainponnistus – oopperaa alueellamme on tarjolla harvoin . 2023-12-30 . Lapin kansa . Kaleva Media . Kaleva Media.
17. News: Koskinen . Risto . 2017-10-04 . Kemissä esitettävän Punainen viiva -oopperan laulajat julkistettiin . 2023-12-30 . Yle Uutiset . Yle Uutiset . Yle.
18. News: Koskinen . Risto . 2017-05-23 . Punainen viiva -ooppera esitetään ensi vuonna Kemin Tervahallilla – mukaan etsitään paikallisia laulajia . 2023-12-30 . Yle Uutiset . Yle Uutiset . Yle.
19. News: Meldungen . 27 May 2019 . Karlsruher Chefdramaturg Jan Linders geht nach Berlin . Nachtkritik.de . Nachtkritik.de.
20. Web site: Wagner . Jo . NEUSTRUKTURIERUNG DER KÜNSTLERISCHEN LEITUNG DES STAATSTHEATERS KARLSRUHE Jan Linders geht, Laura Åkerlund kommt . 27 May 2019 . Wochenblatt-reporter.de . 27 May 2019 . Wochenblatt Karlsruhe.
21. News: Staatstheater Karlsruhe: Finnin Laura Åkerlund neue Chefdramaturgin . 28.05.2019 . Die Rheinpfalz.