Opera music at the Park – TPO opens its autumn season in style with Chief Conductor Matthew Halls and tenor Tuomas Katajala
Chief Conductor Matthew Halls’s final season with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra will open with an opera-themed outdoor concert featuring tenor Tuomas Katajala as soloist. The traditional Park Concert, co-organised by the Tampere Philharmonic, Tampere Hall and Tampere Energy, will take place in Sorsapuisto Park in Tampere on Saturday, 8 August. Admission is free.
The long-standing Park Concert will fill Sorsapuisto Park in Tampere with music on Saturday, 8 August 2026 at 6 pm. This large-scale, free concert for all ages marks the start of the city’s cultural autumn season. Last year, an estimated 10,000 music lovers gathered to enjoy the live sound of a symphony orchestra.
The concert will be conducted for the fourth time by British conductor Matthew Halls, for whom the upcoming season will be his last as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO). Recently appointed Artistic Partner of the Belgian National Orchestra, Halls performs regularly with major orchestras across Europe and the United States.
The programme pays tribute to Tampere Opera, which celebrates its 80th anniversary and is one of Finland’s longest-running uninterrupted operatic traditions. The soloist is Tuomas Katajala, one of the most versatile and sought-after tenors in the Nordic countries. The concert features highlights from the operatic repertoire, alongside beloved operetta and ballet music.
Park Concert programme – Saturday 8 August 2026, 6 pm
- Johann Strauss: Overture from Die Fledermaus
- Giacomo Puccini: Intermezzo from Suor Angelica
- Giacomo Puccini: Cavaradossi’s aria E lucevan le stelle (The stars were shining) from Tosca
- Giuseppe Verdi: Overture from Luisa Miller
- Ernesto de Curtis: Non ti scordar di me (Forget me not)
- Georges Bizet: Music from Carmen: Overture, Seguidilla, Habanera
- Franz Lehár: Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Yours is my whole heart) from The Land of Smiles (Das Land des Lächelns)
- Benjamin Britten: Storm from Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
- Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Lensky’s aria Kuda, kuda from Eugene Onegin
- Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Music from Swan Lake: Scene, Mazurka, Dance of the Little Swans (Danse des cygnes), Waltz
– Opera’s romantic and passionate melodies will resonate at the Park Concert, complemented by a touch of beloved operetta and ballet music. The outstanding tenor Tuomas Katajala will perform well-known arias by Puccini, Verdi and Tchaikovsky together with the orchestra under the baton of Chief Conductor Matthew Halls. It is once again our pleasure, together with our partners Tampere Hall and Tampere Energy, to welcome audiences to enjoy a summer evening of music in Sorsapuisto Park, says Eija Oravuo, General Manager of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.
An energetic public celebration
The free Park Concert has been made possible by Tampere Energy for the past 10 years. This vibrant public celebration can be experienced only on site in Sorsapuisto Park, and audiences are encouraged to arrive early using walking, cycling or public transport. Before the concert, DJ Juissi will entertain the audience from 3 pm.
– The Park Concert has become a shared summer tradition for the people of Tampere, where high-quality music is accessible to all. We are delighted to help make possible an event that brings together thousands of people to enjoy culture and community in the heart of the city. At the same time, our long-standing partnership with Tampere Hall supports sustainable events through renewable district heating and cooling solutions, says Jussi Laitinen, CEO of Tampereen Energia.
Restaurant Tuhto will be open with extended hours from 11 am to 9 pm (kitchen closes at 8 pm). The Game On summer exhibition will be open from 9 am to 9 pm, and tickets for autumn events and concerts at discounted prices will be available from the Tampere Hall ticket office.
TPO’s popular ticket hunt returns once again. This time, the orchestra will provide 30 “Faun Passes” that will be hidden at the Park Concert in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Afternoon of Fauns chamber music series. Park Concert visitors can also win concert gift cards by taking part in the TPO’s audience survey, open from 8 August to 15 November. The survey forms part of a nationwide audience study by the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras.
On the same day, Saturday 8 August from 10 am to 4 pm, Tampere Hall will host the Moomins – The Big Celebration Day event for families with children. Admission is free. The Moomin Museum in Tampere Hall will be open from 9 am to 5 pm.
