FISKARS SUMMER FESTIVAL
“When visiting Fiskars village recently, I was immediately inspired to organise a mentoring event in its wonderfully creative atmosphere. The feeling is one of energy and innovation, and that is going to inspire our young musicians and mentors.”
Fiskars Summer Festival presents internationally-renowned artists from Finland and abroad. It runs an annual conductors’ masterclass, mentorship and workshops for aspiring orchestra leaders. It also offers a mentorship scheme for young composers.
The festival was inspired by LEAD’s desire to create a mentorship programme and a supportive community aimed at young artists in the early phases of their career – a hub for Finnish and international participants to meet, network, find support, practice and learn in the diverse and creative environment of Fiskars Village.
Led by conductor and LEAD! founder Jukka-Pekka Saraste, the Fiskars Summer Festival is an international platform for both Finnish and international artists to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation.
The Festival offers chamber music in different informal venues in Fiskars, including art galleries, restaurants and formerly industrial spaces. Seminars, workshops and discussions about cultural leadership, conducting and the music industry are held - many of these open to the public.
LEAD! Is also proud to present concerts on the highest level with Fiskars Festival Orchestra, featuring world-renowned international soloists and leading guest conductors.
LEAD! FOUNDATION ACADEMY MASTERCLASSES
“Having young conductors and the emerging composers of the same generation meet, network and grow through collaboration, is the only way to secure a vibrant and relevant musical scene for classical music now and in the future.
The community of LEAD is certainly the right and highly exclusive place for this”
The Fiskars Summer Festival is an international platform for established artists to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation of conductors from all around the world. We are proud to present world-class artists every year, who teach and perform alongside our talented young participants.
The Masterclass is aimed at young conductors in the early stages of their career, who are able to display personality, technical ability and excellence in performance. It includes:
Active work with orchestra, where work is analysed, critiqued and discussed by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and guest mentors
Group workshops and seminars on topics from the music industry
Individual mentoring and advice on the classical music business
The opportunity to conduct the Fiskars Festival Orchestra in public concerts in and around Fiskars
Unique networking opportunities with leading conductors and figures from the music industry
“I had an incredible time in Finland. I keep telling anyone I can about how amazing this event and opportunity was for me”
FISKARS FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
The newly-founded Fiskars Festival Orchestra was established in 2022, and is made up of leading international musicians as well as hand-picked young talent, from Finland and abroad. The orchestra was created especially for the Fiskars Summer Festival and has its homebase in Fiskars. Its Artistic Director is Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and it has been led by internationally-renowned conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Hannu Lintu and Dalia Stasevska. During the Fiskars Summer Festival 2024, the orchestra will appear in both Fiskars and Billnäs, performing music by Jean Sibelius, Serge Rachmaninov and James Albany Hoyle.
The Fiskars Festival Orchestra is generously supported by the Fiskars Group
The application period for the LEAD! Foundation Academy Masterclass 2024 has now been closed. The next application period for the Masterclass 2025 will be in February 2025.
Masterclass for young conductors
The next mentorship programme taking place in Fiskars will be in the period 26 July - 3 August 2024. Participants are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Training and Mentorship for young orchestra leaders
The next mentorship programme for young composers, led by Magnus Lindberg, will be held during the next Fiskars Summer Festival in the period 26 July - 3 August 2024. Composers are selected by our mentors.
Young composers’ mentorship programme
To find out more about our programmes, please keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more information, or contact us at info@leadfoundationfinland.com
Fiskars Festival Impressions
FISKARS SUMMER FESTIVAL is a festival unlike any other. The festival has grown into Fiskars Village, home to a creative community with centuries of history always looking ahead.
At FISKARS SUMMER FESTIVAL, we experience a unique intersection of time and place. The festival creates a shared space that connects younger talent to the original source – a source of inspiration, artistic authenticity, tradition and integrity, and pioneering design that makes the everyday extraordinary.
Fiskars Group is proud to partner with the LEAD! Foundation and the Fiskars Village community in making this extraordinary experience a reality.
