About the Project


Philomela is a new Nordic opera that transforms an ancient myth into a visceral, contemporary experience about gendered violence, silencing, and the power of artistic testimony.


Created by a team of internationally successful and highly acclaimed artists, the work blends avant-garde vocal expression, Nordic folk instruments, movement, and visual storytelling into an operatic form that is both elemental and groundbreaking.


Philomela is designed for both large opera houses and flexible touring formats.


We are currently seeking co-producers, commissioning partners, and presenting organisations.

The Story

The Myth Reimagined

In the Greek myth, Philomela is raped by her sister's husband, King Tereus. To keep her silent, he cuts out her tongue. But Philomela refuses to disappear. She weaves her story into a tapestry. Her voice returns through art.



The Opera’s Perspective

Philomela presents the aftermath, not the act. There is no divine justice. No easy resolution.

 The opera explores: 

  • the inadequacy of legal and social systems
  • the gap between truth and belief
  • the body as archive and witness
  • sound as resistance when language fails

Philomela does not speak. Yet she communicates with raw, wordless vocal expression. Around her, a women’s chorus evokes birds: observing, questioning, remembering.





Artistic style


Vocal and Dramatic Language

by Simon Jensen

  • The opera begins where speech ends. Philomela’s role uses extended vocal techniques, breath, and movement to create a nonverbal vocal presence. The chorus, sometimes landscape and sometimes witness, surrounds her with layered sound.

Musical World

by Uljas Pulkkis

  •  The score combines: 

    • contemporary classical writing
    • expressive melodic vocal lines
    • Nordic folk instruments (kantele, fiddle, accordion)
    • chamber orchestra (ca. 20 players)
    • electronic soundscape
    • pre-recorded and manipulated voices
    • natural bird calls woven into the dramatic texture

    The result is a vivid, dramatic sonic environment grounded in tradition yet unmistakably modern.

Scenography and costumes

by Klaus Haapaniemi

  •  The visual world of Philomela is sculptural, mythic, and transformable. 

    • Costumes and scenography are one combined structure.
    • Characters emerge from within their garments, creating shifting landscapes in intricate choreographies.
    • A two-sided canvas attached to the performers acts as both backdrop and storytelling device.
    • The flexible design allows for both grand stagings and touring versions suitable for outreach.

    The opening scene begins with characters rising slowly from concealment, their canvases unfurling into a living terrain.

Creative team

Olga Heikkilä - Philomela, Artistic Director

Finnish soprano with major debuts at San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Opera (2026), La Monnaie, Staatsoper Stuttgart & Berlin, ROH London, and other leading houses. Known for roles spanning baroque to contemporary opera and acclaimed collaborations with directors such as Kasper Holten, Simon Stone, and Nicola Raab.

Olga Heikkilä website

Uljas Pulkkis - Composer

One of Finland’s leading contemporary opera composers. Ten operas premiered internationally. Known for rich orchestration, melodic expressiveness, and innovative timbral work. Doctoral decree in psychoacoustics in orchestration (Sibelius Academy of music).

Examples of Pulkkis's operas

Tove Teuvalla (Opera about Tove Jansson in Finnish) 2024: Tove Teuvalla

All the Truths We Cannot See (Opera about Chernobyl accident in English) 2021: All the Truths We Cannot See

I väntan på en jordbävning (Waiting for the earthquake, opera in Swedish about foreign in Japan) 2019: I väntan på en jordbävning

Uljas Pulkkis website

Simon Jensen - Librettist, Actor

German-Swedish actor, writer, and director with engagements at Thalia Theater, Volksbühne Berlin, and Burgtheater Vienna. Theatre prize nominations and extensive stage, film, and opera experience.

Simon Jensen website

Klaus Haapaniemi - Set and costume designer

Internationally celebrated artist and designer. Exhibited worldwide; recipient of Finland’s State Design Prize (2018). Renowned for narrative-driven visual worlds across fashion, performance, and opera.

Klaus Haapaniemi website

Bjarni Frímann Bjarnson - Conductor

Conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason is among the most versatile and gifted artists of his generation. He won the Brightest Prospect award at the Icelandic Music awards 2016.

Johanne Højlund - Procne

Acclaimed Danish mezzo- and soprano with performances at the Royal Danish Opera, Norwegian Opera, and major Nordic orchestras. Recipient of several prestigious music awards.

Johanne Højlund website

Johannes Held - Tereus

German baritone with international roles across major houses and renowned for his over 200 Lied recitals, celebrated interpretations of Schubert and Mahler, and broad operatic repertoire.

Johanns Held website



Anti-violence in Philomela


Philomela examines the mechanisms that produce violence: honour, shame, silence and how these forces echo in today's societies, including digital spaces. Through myth, sound, and embodiment, the opera reveals cycles of violence and asks: How can we interrupt them? What does healing require?



Outreach & Partnerships


Together with Nordic and international institutions, the project includes:

  • Pre-Premiere Panel: “Silence, Trauma, and Resistance”

Hosted with the Nordic Council of Ministers and organisations working against VAW/DV/IPV.

Institutional Collaborations

We work closely with:

  • Human Rights Watch
  • UN Women
  • European Women’s Lobby
  • Kvinderådet (DK), Fokus (NO), Fredrika Bremer (SE), Unizon (SE)
  • Scandinavian embassies and political leaders

Educational & Social Outreach

  • Small-scale Philomela performances in schools
  • Workshops: students write letters to characters; art exhibition
  • Workshops in prisons: artworks on the opera’s themes; exhibition during premiere period
  • Discussions with psychologists, researchers, clergy, writers, activists
These activities ensure that Philomela resonates beyond the stage.


Documentary Film

As Philomela is rewriting opera structures the process of making a collaborative piece of art is followed by director Karin Pennanen’s team. A feature length documentary follows Philomela’s own story of origin from the first workshop.


“We are on our way to create the opera you never seen before”