Great acoustics, more functional facilities for both the audience and orchestra, and an added boost to Turku’s cultural offering. These are some of the wishes Hilkka Urho, a long-term season ticket holder of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra (TFO), has regarding Fuuga.
Urho, a diverse consumer of culture, is already eagerly anticipating the completion of the Music Hall Fuuga.
– It's high time for our fine orchestra to get new premises. The current concert hall no longer meets today’s requirements, and the orchestra’s operating conditions there are minimal, she says.
In addition to the impressive new concert hall and the opportunities it offers, Urho is also looking forward to the architectural value Fuuga will bring to the city.
– It has a great location along the Cultural Riverbank. And according to the visualisations, the building will be stunning.
I really hope that it will be a place that is easy to reach and accessible for everyone.
Hilkka Urho has particularly high expectations regarding the accessibility of the new Music Hall.
– I really hope that it will be a place that is easy to reach and accessible for everyone, she says.
Season ticket since the 1980s
Hilkka Urho is one of the more than 600 season ticket holders of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Urho has frequented TFO concerts for her entire adult life. She recalls that she acquired her first season ticket as far back as in the 1980s. Although problems with her knees have slowed her down slightly, she still tries to attend all TFO concerts.
– I try to make sure that I’m at every premiere, she says.
Urho’s love for classical music dates back to her adolescence, when her godmother invited her to an opera. Verdi’s Rigoletto made a lasting impression on her.
– Lauri Lahtinen, who played the role of the court jester Rigoletto, also became my singing teacher here in Turku,” Hilkka Urho says.
Increased attraction
Hilkka Urho has a solid understanding of the usability of performance facilities, as she has been organising theatre and cultural trips through her own business for over 30 years. Familiar places include Tampere Hall, Savonlinna and Helsinki Music Hall, among many others.
– I sincerely hope that the new music hall will make Turku an even more attractive place to visit. After all, we have world-class names visiting Turku even now, but with Fuuga we can offer them an outstanding venue.