Artistic Director
Kaapo Ijas

Conductor Kaapo Ijas has been appointed Artistic Director of the VocalEspoo Festival. Ijas will lead the programming and artistic direction of the festival in 2026 and 2028. Ijas describes his thoughts on the artistic direction of VocalEspoo enthusiastically:

"I am extremely inspired to take up the programming of the VocalEspoo festival! A festival with a multifaceted focus on vocal expression could not be better justified in any cultural environment, least of all in Espoo or Finland, where the concept and philosophy of VocalEspoo seems to be quite unique.

What can vocal expression mean? My aim as artistic director of VocalEspoo is to explore this question and to bring alongside classical vocal works mind-blowing vocal art from e.g. folk music, Arabic music and Bulgarian choral music. As for the 2026 festival, I'm hesitant to say too much at this stage, yet a very original contemporary Italian composer will be celebrating his 101st birthday then."

Musicality and clarity of his gestures, operatic and dramatic instinct, exciting interpretations, and his compassionate yet precise leadership are quickly gaining the Finnish conductor Kaapo Ijas an international reputation. Having had a particular affinity for opera, while feeling equally at home in the symphonic setting, Ijas has already established a fruitful relationship with many orchestras and opera houses, such as the Finnish National Opera, Volksoper Wien, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic, Montpellier Opera Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Jyväskylä Sinfonia.

This coming season Ijas makes his debut at Bregenz Festspiele conducting Rossini's La Cenerentola, and in November 2025 he conducts the Finnish premiere of Ellen Reids opera p r i s m (Ooppera Skaala, Aleksanterin teatteri, Helsinki). 2025-26 he also debuts with Helsinki Philharmonic, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, and returns to Finnish Radio Orchestra as well as Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Ijas is a versatile musician with a diverse background. His musical journey began with clarinet and composition, and he now regularly sings tenor in professional choirs such as the Helsinki Chamber Choir. He has deep respect and interest towards musical cultures and genres besides classical music including i.a. folk and arabic music. Since spring 2024 Kaapo is board member and conducting partner in Ooppera Skaala.

In 2019, Ijas was appointed to the position of Junior Fellow in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. During the course of this two-year position in England, he also completed an International Artist Diploma.

Before the position, has studied conducting at Kungliga Musikhögskolan Stockholm (master’s degree), Sibelius Academy (bachelor’s degree), and Zürcher Hochschule für Künste, as well as participating in international masterclasses around the world. His teachers and mentors during his studies include Riccardo Muti, Johannes Schlaefli, Sir Mark Elder, Jaap van Zweden, David Zinman, Neeme and Paavo Järvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Jorma Panula.