Lappeenranta Solo Voice Competition honours go to Tiina-Maija Koskela

Promising bass Timo Riihonen given 2nd spot in the men's event as jury refrains from declaring a winner

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Top honours in the national Lappeenranta Solo Voice Competition, held every two years, went on this occasion to 27-year-old mezzosoprano Tiina-Maija Koskela from Seinäjoki.
      In the men’s category, the jury decided not to award a first prize, but second spot was taken by bass Timo Riihonen, 24, from Mikkeli.
      The result from the jury led by Raimo Sirkiä, the former artistic director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival, was announced on Sunday night.
     
Joint second place among the women went to soprano Mia Heikkinen from Gothenburg in Sweden and mezzo Jeni Packalen from Helsinki. Third place was taken by soprano Jenni Lättilä.
      The men’s third prize went to baritone Jussi Zeigler from Helsinki.
     
The City of Lappeenranta rewarded the winners with cheques of EUR 8,500 for Koskela and for EUR 5,500 and EUR 3,500 respectively for the second and third-placed artists.
      This was the fifteenth holding of the event, and attracted 30 entrants, nine of whom - six women and three men - made it through to the final.
      The prizewinning singers will all be taking part this evening in a gala concert in Imatra with the Lappeenranta City Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jan Söderblom.


Links:
  Lappeenranta Solo Voice Competition pages (in Finnish)

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