Le Grand Macabre

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra 
Nicholas Collon, conductor
Helsinki Chamber Choir 
Nils Schweckendiek, choir direction

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra: Le Grand Macabre
György Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre is one of the most significant cult works of the 20th century – a raucous and irreverent celebration of the apocalypse that shakes the foundations of operatic tradition. It laughs in the face of both life and death, offering a firework display of musical virtuosity. The work is simultaneously brutal, absurd, and deeply human. Le Grand Macabre will receive its Finnish premiere at the 2026 Helsinki Festival.

Ligeti himself called the piece an ”anti-anti-opera.” Remaining true to his nonconformist style, the composer distanced himself both from traditional opera and the experimental music theatre of the 1960s that questioned it. Ligeti introduced something entirely new: extremely complex and masterful music combined with ribald, madcap, humorous, and visual expression. Since its premiere in 1978, the work has grown into a showstopper for singers and musicians alike, delighting audiences as one of the essential operas of the century. The piece begins with the iconic fanfare for car horns and leads the audience through a world inspired by the Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, where gluttony, sex, politics, and fear blend into a carnivalesque concoction.

At the Helsinki Festival, the work will be experienced as a semi-staged production, visualized by top-tier professionals and starring an international cast of stellar soloists: Sarah Aristidou, Heidi Melton, Andrew Watts, and Karl Huml have performed the work on the world's most prestigious stages. They are joined by rising talents such as the 2024 Mirjam Helin Competition winner Jingjing Xu, alongside a group of elite Finnish and international soloists. The production is directed by the Oper!-awarded British director Frederic Wake-Walker, known for his original and fresh interpretations. A unique visual world will be created for the Music Centre by Sasha Balmazi-Owen, recipient of the prestigious 2025 Olivier Award for Best Set Design. Nicholas Collon conducts the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with his trademark intensity, joined by the Grammy-winning Helsinki Chamber Choir under the direction of Nils Schweckendiek.

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra 
Nicholas Collon, conductor

Helsinki Chamber Choir 
Nils Schweckendiek, choir direction

Frederic Wake-Walker, direction 
Sasha Balmazi-Owen, visualization

Soloists: 
Chief of the Gepopo / Venus: Sarah Aristidou, soprano 
Nekrotzar: Leigh Melrose, baritone 
Piet the Pot: Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, tenor 
Mescalina: Heidi Melton, soprano 
Astradamors: Karl Huml, bass 
Prince Go-Go: Andrew Watts, countertenor 
Minister, White Party: Tuomas Katajala, tenor 
Minister, Black Party: Luke Terence Scott, baritone 
Amando: Jingjing Xu, mezzo-soprano 
Schabernack: Jussi Merikanto, baritone 
Schobiack: Tomi Punkeri, baritone 
Ruffiack: Sakari Topi, baritone 
Secret police and executioners, Prince Go-Go's master of ceremonies and servants, Nekrotzar's hellish entourage: Helsinki Chamber Choir

Supporters: 
Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Mirjam and Hans Helin Fund

The Mirjam Helin Singing Competition, organized by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, supports the participation of prize-winning singers in the production.

Age recommendation: 14+

Duration: n. 2h 25min, inc. intermission
Tickets: 18–105 € (Music Centre ticket sales)