Projected onto the giant wall by the escalators connecting the airport train station and Helsinki Airport terminal, Culture Stage is a 12-metre wide and 6.5-metre high screen where passengers can enjoy snippets of the world of opera and ballet. The imagery is accompanied by the music of the performances, which is created in the space as a soundscape by loudspeakers mounted next to the screen.
The sample performances are recordings from the National Opera and Ballet's repertoire. The performances change regularly, so there is always something new to experience.
The current repertoire of the Culture Stage:
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Tosca
Recorded on 6 October 2018
Limitless love, fierce hatred, music filled with emotion – what else can you expect from an unforgettable opera experience? Giacomo Puccini’s opera strikes your heart and makes both first-time watchers and veterans fall in love with it.
DAVID MCALLISTER – PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY
Swan Lake
Recorded on 29 January 2022
Swan Lake is the world’s most famous ballet, which combined Tchaikovsky’s magnificent music with a visual world of iconic beauty. It also has a long history at the Finnish National Ballet, where it was performed as the National Ballet's first production in 1922. David McAllister’s new version, commissioned for the centenary of the Finnish National Ballet in 2022, honours the rich tradition of the ballet.
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Turandot
Recorded on 16 February 2023
The new, visually stunning version of Puccini’s iconic Turandot at the Finnish National Opera delivers a universal message: regardless of who we are or where we come from, we are all looking for love.
Princess Turandot poses three questions to her suitors, who can only save their life by answering correctly. Prince Calaf surprises the princess by surviving the trial. Will he be able to break through her cold exterior? Could he finally be the person who gives her the freedom to choose for herself?
W. A. MOZART
Don Giovanni
Recorded on 11 March 2020
Don Giovanni, the insatiable seducer, stops at nothing to satisfy his lustful desires. He sets his sights on everyone he encounters, from Elvira to her maid, to the bride at a country wedding. When he kills the father of one of his conquests, he sets off a chain of events that seals his tragic fate.
Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart is one of the most brilliant operas in the world. Its timeless melodies combine the playful with the serious. The opera, which had its world premiere in 1787, tells the tale of an unrepentant seducer. Director Jussi Nikkilä’s interpretation presents the themes of addiction and power dynamics in a carnivalesque manner.
JAVIER TORRES – PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY
Sleeping Beauty
Recorded on 30 August 2024
Sleeping Beauty is one of the most beloved ballets of all time. The familiar story about the bewitched princess Aurora, the good and evil fairies, and the adventurous prince truly comes into its own as a ballet. The choreography created by the Artistic Director of the Finnish National Ballet, Javier Torres, has been performed to full houses for over 15 years.
"Princess Aurora is fighting a battle between love and fear. She is finally saved as she gives in to love." Javier Torres