Puccini: Turandot

Perfomances

Puccini: Turandot

Main Auditorium, Tampere Hall

Sat 27 Feb 2027 at 3 pm (Premiere)
Wed 3 Mar 2027 at 6.30 pm
Sat 6 Mar 2027 at 3 pm
Tue 9 Mar 2027 at 5 pm
Thu 11 Mar 2027 at 6.30 pm
Sat 13 Mar 2027 at 3 pm

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes, including one interval (approx. 30 minutes).

The opera is performed in Italian, with surtitles in Finnish and English.

Recommended for ages 12 and above.

Programme is subject to change.

Production: Tampere Hall, in collaboration with Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra

Tickets

Standard tickets €118 / €105 / €85
Pensioners €109 / €97 / €77
Unemployed €75
Children and youth (up to 16 years) and students €45

Tickets for Turandot are now available through Tampere Hall and Lippu.fi sales channels. Please be prepared to present a valid discount entitlement (e.g., student card) upon request by Tampere Hall staff.

Some seats in the lowest price category may have restricted visibility. Technical equipment and staff are located in the centre section of row A15 in the rear balcony.

Groups of more than 10 people may contact ryhmamyynti@tampere-talo.fi or call +358 3 243 4501 (Mon–Fri 10.00–16.00).

Information

Artistic Team

Conductor Pietro Rizzo
Director Anna Kelo
Set and costume designer Tinde Lappalainen
Lighting and video designer Thomas Hase
Choir conductors Heikki Liimola and Jouni Rissanen

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Tampere Opera Choir
Tampere Opera Children’s Choir, in collaboration with Pirkanpojat

Puccini’s final masterpiece to be performed for the first time at Tampere Opera

Giacomo Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, will be performed for the first time at Tampere Opera. The production will premiere at Tampere Hall on Saturday, 27 February 2027. The opera is directed by Anna Kelo, and Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Pietro Rizzo.

Turandot, Giacomo Puccini’s (1858–1924) last opera, is one of the most spectacular and beloved classics in the operatic repertoire. It will now be seen for the first time at Tampere Opera from 27 February to 13 March 2027 with a total of six performances.

The opera is set in a mythical China imagined by the composer. Turandot combines grand emotions, dramatic storytelling and magnificent music, and is renowned for the world-famous tenor aria Nessun dorma.

The new interpretation is directed by Anna Kelo, marking her directorial debut in Tampere. Working for the Finnish National Opera, Kelo is known as an uncompromising visionary and a strong team player. For Turandot, she has assembled an outstanding artistic team: set and costume design by Tinde Lappalainen, and lighting and video design by Thomas Hase.

Among Kelo’s recent directions are Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at Volkstheater Rostock (2025), Wagner’s Ring Cycle at the Finnish National Opera (2019–2024), and the world premiere of Jaakko Kuusisto’s Ice at the Finnish National Opera (2019). In August 2026, Kelo will direct Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Bregenz Festival.

“Turandot is a visually striking and grand-scale opera, a stylised fairy tale for adults. We are in China, yet at the same time in a timeless society where, under the yoke of technocracy, the people carry out the whims of those in power; rulers who have distanced themselves from reality and elevated themselves to the status of gods. Has humanity already been lost, or can compassion and love save Turandot from herself?” Kelo reflects.

Problematic Orientalism

Puccini was unable to complete Turandot before his death from cancer in 1924. The opera’s final scenes were subsequently realised by Franco Alfano (1875–1954), based on the composer’s sketches. Turandot premiered at La Scala in Milan in April 1926 and quickly established itself on the international stage, reaching Finland just three years later with its Finnish premiere in November 1929.

In the opera, the cold and enigmatic Princess Turandot agrees to marry only a suitor who can correctly answer three riddles. Many have failed, and lost their heads, until an unknown young man steps forward. The roots of the classic “princess and half the kingdom” fairy tale date back to the early Middle Ages.

For the score, Puccini drew inspiration from the melodies of a Chinese music box, and the orchestration features gongs, tam-tams, xylophone and various bells. The work was created at a time when Orientalism, the exoticisation of Eastern cultures, coloured Western art. How should contemporary audiences approach a work that is at times considered problematic?

“Opera is a living art form that evolves and renews itself through fresh interpretations. Turandot, like many classics of the operatic canon, contains historical layers and burdens that make updating them both challenging and fascinating,” says Suvi Leinonen, Artistic Director of Tampere Opera.

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Pietro Rizzo. The Tampere Opera Choir is trained by Heikki Liimola, and the children’s choir by Jouni Rissanen in collaboration with Pirkanpojat Boys’ Choir. The soloists will be announced at a later date.

Opera Buffet

Reserve our delicious Opera Buffet!

The pre-purchased Turandot menu (€42 per person, incl. VAT) will be served at Tampere Hall in connection with the Saturday performances:

Sat 27 Feb 2027 at 1–3 pm
Sat 6 Mar 2027 at 1–3 pm
Sat 13 Mar 2027 at 1–3 pm

Our Head Chef has created a menu inspired by the world of the opera, reflecting its atmosphere in both flavour and presentation. Prepared from seasonal organic ingredients, this menu will perfectly crown your opera experience.

The generous opera buffet includes an abundant starter selection, a warm main course option, and a delicious dessert. The buffet also offers tasty choices for vegetarians and vegans.

Please inform the restaurant of any dietary restrictions by email no later than one week prior to the performance. The opera buffet can also be arranged for groups of more than 20 people in connection with other performances. Reservations and enquiries: ravintola@tampere-talo.fi