Helsinki Contemporary Opera festival 2026 honorary patron: Tapio Viinikangas

 

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Tapio Viinikangas is a violinist and culture influencer. Kulaus kulttuuria (“A Sip of Culture”) is Tapio’s content concept, designed to lower the threshold for engaging with culture and to bring the arts closer to people — including those who might not otherwise encounter them.

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Tapio was excited to join our festival as a patron:

“Opera is clearly trending right now! It may actually be more approachable than classical music that consists solely of instrumental performance. In opera, singing adds storytelling and makes it easier for audiences to relate to what they experience.”

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Tapio hopes this year’s performances will spark reflection:

“When listening to or watching a work of art, the emotions it evokes do not always have to be pleasant. Art’s purpose is also to provide a counterbalance to everyday life. When you allow your mind to wander during a performance — without your phone or other distractions — it begins to reveal interesting things about your own thinking. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter what you watch; what matters is that you leave home and expose yourself to something new.”

 

Follow Tapio on social media: @tapio_viinikangas

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Photo: Laura Malmivaara​​