Friday, August 1 at 8:00 PM
Denfeld High School Auditorium in Duluth

Come and experience an inspiring night of all-Finnish classical music with the FinnFest
Symphony Orchestra, organized specifically by FinnFest USA for FinnFest 2025. Professional musicians from across the country will join members of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra to play in this concert. Finland’s Ambassador to the US Leena-Kaisa Mikkola and other dignitaries will be in attendance.  

The 2025 concert showcases Sibelius’s symphonic repertoire in this all-Finnish evening, heard together with two significant late-20th-century Finnish composers.  Craig Randal Johnson will conduct.   

Jean Sibelius En Saga
Kari Tikka Cello Concerto
Eino-Juhani Rautavaara Symphony, No. 1 
Jean Sibelius Finlandia 

Betsy Husby, Principal Cellist, Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, will play the solo cello in the North American premiere of Tikka’s work. The 70-voice International Finnish Choir, honored in 2024 as Suomi Seura’s Expatriate of the Year, will join the orchestra in “Finlandia.”

Tikka, composer and conductor, wrote music in many forms, including the opera “Luther” performed in a North American premiere as well as numerous works for use in churches. His passing in 2022 led FinnFest to dedicate their 2023 publication, “Finnish Heritage Hymnbook” to his memory. 

Historic Denfeld High School auditorium, one of Duluth’s early-20th-century architectural landmarks, will provide excellent acoustics and sightlines from all seats.

Tickets will be available soon on Eventnbrite.

FinnFest 2025 will provide live music and dances throughout the festival with performances featured at the Tori Nordic Fair and other stages. Nightly dances, Symphony Orchestra and other concerts will bring FinnFest visitors together to enjoy Nordic tunes.

Let’s celebrate together!

Enjoy a gourmet dinner with FinnFest friends and special guests from Finland and the US. Join us for a fabulous summer night of programming and FinnFest 2025 Award ceremony.

Hosted in the beautiful historic Greysolon Plaza Moorish Room in downtown Duluth. Step into a time when opulence meant ornate chandeliers, mahogany walls and hand-painted ceilings. Built in 1925 as the Hotel Duluth, it was widely acclaimed as one of the finest hotels on the continent. Today, Black Woods has restored the building to its original splendor, making it a memorable event space. This historic ballroom has been beautifully restored to create a unique venue for events like ours.

Social hour starts at 5:30pm and the Gala Dinner follows at 6pm. Dress code is dressy casual.

Join us for fun Nordic atmosphere of:
– Shopping with over 50 vendors – including numerous sauna vendors
– Live music and entertainment
– Food court with Scandinavian foods
– Pop Up Cafe

Sunday will be a full day of programming, including:
– Tori Nordic Fair open 9am-5pm: Shopping, live music, Finnish food, sauna, etc.
– Lectures and Presentations
– Live music and performances
– Demonstrations
– Films

Art and craft exhibits and music and dance demonstration will take place throughout the day.