Lilli Paasikivi

Lilli Katriina Paasikivi-Ilves (born in 1965 in Imatra, Finland) is the artistic director of the Finnish National Opera since 2013 and a mezzo-soprano.

Her roles have included Marguerite (in Opera North's La damnation de Faust ) and Octavian (in Der Rosenkavalier).

[3] In 2007, she performed as Ariel in Sibelius's incidental music to The Tempest at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in the 42nd BBC Prom.

In November 2008, she sang Elgar's Sea Pictures and The Dream of Gerontius with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy.

[5] Paasikivi was awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal in recognition of her artistic merits in 2008[1] and the Commander’s Badge by the Order of The Lion of Finland in 2017.