FEDORA

Opera Prize 2021
Nominee

Jury
Nominee
Innocence
Platform member

France
Festival d'Aix


Crowdfunding Results

€4,590
collected

€1,000
Matched

€15,000
target

Kaija Saariaho’s final opera INNOCENCE is a “thriller-opera” but also a story about recovery and healing that resonates with current concerns of humanity, dealing with how individuals, smaller groups and our society as a whole confront the past and tackle recent traumas over time.


About the Project

"It is a typical wedding for a cosmopolitan city, in present-day Finland. The fiancé is Finnish, the bride Romanian, and the mother-in-law French. But suddenly, during the wedding banquet, the Czech waitress feels ill… Ten years earlier, these characters were struck by a tragic event. Ghosts revive their memories of the trauma, there is a guilty haze, a lost innocence".

INNOCENCE is a “thriller-opera”, a contemporary tragedy writing a new page in the history of opera.

The opera INNOCENCE is the result of a collaboration between multi-awarded composer Kaija Saariaho and novelist Sofi Oksanen, who is unrivaled in her ability to force today’s reality to confront the past.

Made radiant through its powerful music and the intermingling of words from nine different languages, INNOCENCE is a large-scale opera for symphonic forces and an international wide-ranging cast. Music will be mastered by Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki, the London Symphony Orchestra & the Estonian Philharmonic Choir. Finally, Australian stage director SimonStone will magnify this opera with his own individual style while directing thirteen singers and/or actors to bring the opera to life!


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More info about the cast, the story... here!


Why should you support us?

INNOCENCE, AN “OPERA-THRILLER” AS AN AMAZING WAY TO EXPERIENCE OPERA!

INNOCENCE is a “multiplot opera” which is to be experienced like a thriller! A tension-filled opera that will keep you pending until the mind-blowing finish!

A UNIVERSAL TOPIC IN TUNE WITH TODAY’S RAGING WORLD

INNOCENCE is a large fresco of the human mind when faced to deal with a traumatic event: “What is important here is the wide range of the varied consequences of one violent act. How do we react to unexpected tragedies in our lives, how does our destiny stigmatize us, and how can we overcome a trauma?” (Kaija Saariaho)

JOIN US IN THE FINAL CREATIVE STAGE: REHEARSALS, LIGHT & COSTUMES ADJUSTMENTS, FINALISATION OF THE SETS…

STAGE FEVER!!! The opera INNOCENCE is reaching its last creative phase: support all the artists, musicians, technicians... in the final part of this adventure in Aix (World Premiere), before a tour in The Netherlands, UK, Finland, USA…


Who are we?

Right from the start, INNOCENCE was created as a highly international and collaborative project. Since the beginning of the creation of INNOCENCE in 2016, an open and constructive dialogue between each partner was implemented, each of them bringing their voices to this musical masterpiece.

The Festival d’Aix (France) is an international festival renowned for its active commitment to contemporary creation. Each year, the Festival d'Aix commissions and programmes contemporary operas: INNOCENCE is one of the greatest operas ever created in Aix, a meaningful large-scale production that represents an amazing challenge! For INNOCENCE, the Festival d'Aix is in charge of the overall creation: cast, building of the sets, creation of costumes, rehearsals... Festival d’Aix will welcome the World Premiere in July 2021.

The other coproducers taking part in this international adventure of the creation of INNOCENCE are 4 major opera houses renowned for their artistic excellence: the Royal Opera House - Covent Garden (UK), the Dutch National Opera (The Netherlands), the Finnish National Opera (Finland) & the Santa Fe Opera (USA).



Kaija Saarihao

Kaija Saariaho

Composer

Sofi Oksanen

Sofi Oksanen

Librettist

Susanna Mälkki

Susanna Mälkki

Conductor

Simon Stone

Simon Stone

Stage Director

Chloe Lamford

Chloe Lamford

Set Designer

Mel Page

Mel Page

Costume Designer

James Farncombe

James Farncombe

Lighting Designer

Arco Renz

Arco Renz

Choreographer

Aleksi Barrière

Aleksi Barrière

Translator-Librettist

Partners

Royal Opera House

United Kingdom

San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Opera

United States

Supporters

Thanks to the support of FEDORA's Corporate Donor Secutix, the first €1,000 donated to "Innocence" will be doubled.

François Grenet donated 3 years ago

Anonymous donated 3 years ago

Bernard Barone donated 3 years ago

Anonymous donated 3 years ago

News

Innocence (rehearsal)

[VIDEO] Discover what deeply motivated Karolina Blaberg to support the creation of the opera INNOCENCE.

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Innocence (rehearsal)

[SPECIAL OFFER] Enjoy a special 25% off offer for the show of INNOCENCE!

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Innocence (rehearsal)

Jury Nominee

Festival d'Aix

What are the fables for the opera in today's world?

09 May 2021

[VIDEO] Which words and which opera librettos are best placed to express our contemporary realities, be they socio-economic, political, or environmental? Which stories inspire us and fill us with strong emotion?

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Innocence (rehearsal)

[VIDEO] Interested in knowing more about how the sanitary crisis has impacted the future of INNOCENCE and how work on the production of this opera continued despite the complicated circumstances? It's here!

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Innocence (rehearsal)

Jury Nominee, FEDORA Prizes

Festival d'Aix

Have a look at INNOCENCE's rehearsals!

16 April 2021

[PHOTOS] INNOCENCE's rehearsals began in 2020 in Aix-en-Provence. Discover in pictures these work sessions with the artists, the composer Kaija Saariaho, the stage director Simon Stones and the music director Susanna Mälkki.

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Innocence (rehearsal)

Jury Nominee, FEDORA Prizes

Festival d'Aix

INNOCENCE: When cinema meets opera...

13 April 2021

[VIDEO] Discover the interview of the young and talented Australian movie director Simon Stone, Stage Director of the opera INNOCENCE!

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Innocence (rehearsal)

Jury Nominee, FEDORA Prizes

Festival d'Aix

Curious about INNOCENCE? Check out Kaija Saariaho's mini-interviews!

01 April 2021

[VIDEO] Kaija Saariaho, INNOCENCE's composer, share some news about the genesis of the opera, the story, the score, etc.

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