Lilli Paasikivi

Lilli Katriina Paasikivi-Ilves (born 22 July 1965 in Imatra, Finland) is a Finnish mezzo-soprano. She has been the artistic director of the Finnish National Opera since 1 August 2013. Her roles have included Marguerite (in Opera North's La damnation de Faust ) and Octavian (in Der Rosenkavalier). She has also performed as Fricka in Das Rheingold with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle. 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 April 2008, she performed Ernest Chausson's Poème de l'amour et de la mer with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In November 2008, she sang Elgar's Sea Pictures and The Dream of Gerontius with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy.