Sibelius Academy Lied Concert

Every spring and autumn, the tradition of lied concerts at the Kirpilä Art Collection brings music lovers together. This cherished series has become an integral part of our programme, and we are delighted to continue it this May by welcoming the following performers:

Slovenian soprano Manca Kumar began her vocal studies at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana. She continued at the Haute école de musique de Genève (Geneva University of Music), graduating in 2023 under Professor Clémence Tilquin. She has received several accolades in both Slovenia and Switzerland, and in 2022, she was the youngest finalist in the Mahler Competition in Geneva. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, studying under Hanna-Leena Haapamäki. In March 2025, she performed as the soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem in the Concert Hall at the Helsinki Music Centre.

French pianist Joachim Besse studied at the conservatories of Nevers and Saint-Maur-des-Fossés before earning a bachelor’s degree at the Haute école de musique de Lausanne (HEMU – University of Music Lausanne). He also completed a parallel degree at Sorbonne University in Paris. He is currently continuing his studies at the Sibelius Academy, under the guidance of Tuija Hakkila and Antti Siirala, while actively participating in lied masterclasses with various instructors.

Their recital programme includes songs by Jean Sibelius, Hugo Wolf, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Kaija Saariaho, among others.

Note! The concert is fully booked online. A few tickets will be available at the door, and the remaining seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the concert.

Photo: Leonardo Rojnic