Jury 2026

Finnish mezzo-soprano and cultural manager Lilli Paasikivi has extensive and wide-ranging experience in the world of classical music.
She received her vocal training at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Royal College of Music in London. From 1998 to 2013, she was a member of the ensemble at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki, where she performed central roles in her field, such as Carmen, Amneris (Aida), Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), Waltraute and Fricka (Der Ring des Nibelungen). She has also performed in a large number of contemporary productions. During her international career as an opera and concert singer, she has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducting with Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Christoph von Dohnányi. She was also involved in the organisation and founding of two summer festivals in Finland.
From 2013 to 2023, she was artistic director of the Finnish National Opera. Her work there focused on combining various art forms and developing innovative programmes that experimented with new technologies. Since 2024, she has been artistic director of the Bregenz Festival.