The X International Mirjam Helin Singing Competition will take place in Turku, Finland, in the new state-of-the-art Music Centre Fuuga.
FINLAND, August 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — In June 2027, the Finnish coastal city of Turku is set to welcome lovers of singing from Finland and all around the world. The audience will get a chance to witness tomorrow’s stars getting their big break, as 36 young talents from six continents compete for the biggest prizes in classical vocal music. The Mirjam Helin Competition values artistic diversity and is open to singers across the full spectrum of vocal performance, from lied and early music to opera.
Many of the talented young musicians who have found success at the Mirjam Helin Competition have later become prominent figures in the world of singing, including Olaf Bär, Elīna Garanča, René Pape, Kateryna Kasper, Nadine Sierra, Andrea Rost and Julia Lezhneva.
The competition’s international jury will comprise top classical singers and high-profile professionals from the world of music. The jury will be chaired by the Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund. The award-winning singer performs regularly at some of the world’s top opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera, New York’s Metropolitan Opera House and La Scala in Milan.
The prizes for the Mirjam Helin Competition are the biggest of any international classical singing competition in the world. The main prize is €60,000, while the total prize money amounts to over €200,000. In addition to monetary prizes, finalists will also be offered performance engagements and career coaching. The competition rules, repertoire requirements, schedules, and prizes, have now been published at mirjamhelin.fi.
The Mirjam Helin Competition has been held in the Finnish capital Helsinki since 1984, but 2027 will see it move to Turku where the competition will expand into a two-week city-wide festival of song, offering plenty of free-of-charge events from opera karaoke to masterclasses.
The semifinals and final will be held in the future heart of Turku’s cultural life, the state-of-the-art Turku Music Centre Fuuga, which will be completed in late 2026. Designed by some of the world’s most respected acousticians, the concert hall will provide a world-class home for music and performing arts. Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Chief Conductor John Storgårds, will perform at the final.
Turku is defined by the Aura River, which acts as the city’s social and cultural spine. Cafés, restaurants, museums, and events line the riverbanks. Just beyond the city lies one of Turku’s greatest treasures: Saaristo, the Archipelago of Finland. Thousands of islands create a breathtaking landscape that can be explored by boat, bike, or ferry, offering peaceful nature experiences only moments away from the urban centre.
The Mirjam Helin Competition is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, one of the biggest private foundations in Europe. Professor Mirjam Helin (1911–2006), a vocal artist and esteemed singing teacher, made a major donation to the foundation with the aim of establishing a world-class classical singing competition in Finland. The Mirjam Helin Competition was held for the first time in 1984.
The X International Mirjam Helin Singing Competition and Festival 5–17 June 2027 in Turku, Finland
• Preliminary round: 7–9 June 2027 at Sigyn Hall
• Semifinals: 11–12 June 2027 at Music Centre Fuuga
• Final: 17 June 2027 at Music Centre Fuuga, with Turku Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Chief Conductor John Storgårds
More information
• We will invite international journalists to follow the competition. Media images, materials and information on accreditation are available at https://mirjamhelin.fi/en/media
• The International Mirjam Helin Competition: https://mirjamhelin.fi/en
• Read more about Turku as a destination: https://mirjamhelin.fi/en/turku
Myy Honkanen
Mirjam Helin Competition
+358 40 5743577
myy.honkanen@gmail.com
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The Mirjam Helin Singing Competition 2027 in Turku, Finland
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