Letter from Tommi
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Tommi Hakala couldn't believe his ears when he heard that he was the winner!
Here's an update from Tommi on the first few weeks following his win, with lots of thanks to lots of people! |
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Dear everyone
Finland. Nightless nights, beautiful weather, performances in Olavinlinna Castle in the Savonlinna Opera Festival, lots of sauna, lots of friendly people with their congratulations and above all: Interviews!! I never knew there were so many newspapers in Finland! TV stations have also been very active. We are a small people, and the "we-spirit" is strong. When one of us Finns wins, everybody has won, but the winner is then being treated as a national hero. Now I now what it feels like.
I arrived at Helsinki-Vantaa airport around midnight on 30 June. My wife Rilla and a couple of our very best friends were there to meet me, so the homecoming was really warm and cosy. By the way: I enjoyed driving the car after a two week break!
Life has been very hectic since the winning. I have hardly had time to practise, and that, if anything, makes me nervous. We have moved to a new house in Finland - we have too seldom time to be there - and yesterday we got the piano delivered, so now my life is ok again. Carmina Burana for the first time in my life is on 27 July and then I'll shut my mouth for 10 days. The first thing after the break is a concert here in Finland, Heinola, with a soprano and five other Finnish baritones. Then The Rape of Lucretia, my first Britten, on 12 September in Nürnberg at the chamber music festival. The season in Leipzig means Figaro/Count, Berlioz' Les Troyens/Chorebe, Traviata/Germont, some Ottokar in Weber's Freischütz and Jonathan Dove's The Flight/Steward.
Well, I am taking all of this as easy as I can (not easy), and fortunately I have many experienced, older collegues who are always willing to help and advise me and answer my many questions.
A part of my heart is still in Cardiff. The time I spent there was so intensive, the experiences and emotions so strong, and the people I met, including all the people in the audience whom I never personally met, but who gave me, all of us, their warmest support! Thank you so much!
Between us competitors the atmosphere was also very warm and nice. No competition backstage, only on stage. I thank all of my fellow competitors and look forward to meeting you in future arenas.
I was very impressed by the arrangements in the Competition, the professionality of everybody involved in one way or another. For instance the Two Lovely Ladies in the Green Room (Olwen and Val), who did everything in their power to make all of us feel as good as possible when we were struggling through our exciting minutes. I want to give my warmest thanks to BBC team, the backstage personnel, the make up staff, the team who took care of our suits, shirts, shoes and socks even, maestro Carlo Rizzi, the coaches at WNO, the brilliant musicians of both orchestras. Thank you Anna, Ann, Julian, Bob, Owen. Thank you Graeme and Viv, my diary companions, the people who read my diary, who sent me greetings from all over the world and thank you all whom I haven't now mentioned! Special greetings to my little friends in the Moorland Primary School. You gave me such a good start in Cardiff. Thank you all very much, diolch yn fawr, kiitoksia paljon.
I am happy to tell that there are already plans being made for my return to Cardiff. Penarth! Mint lamb pie! I am coming!
With warmest greetings
Tommi
16.7.2003
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