Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 6:30 PM Discover Finnish mythology from Kalevala to The Lord of The Rings Celebrate exquisite Finnish art, traditional cuisine and concert with Kalevala art songs-- all in one evening! Event Details Come by yourself or with friends to the Embassy of Finland, the first LEED certified green embassy in the US, for a unique evening of Finnish culture, inspiring art, musical performance, and delicious traditional cuisine to celebrate the inspiration of the Kalevala! The Kalevala, the national epic of the Finns, enjoys an enormous and ongoing impact on Finnish art, culture, and national identity. The epic is a compilation of folk stories describing great events in mythical ancient history that were the inspiration for some of today's comic books, opera, and even the characters of JRR Tolkien! Begin your journey through a series of folk tales that have inspired some of the most famous works of art, music, and popular culture with a cocktail reception and open bar. Experience the world of the Kalevala as you socialize with other internationally-minded professionals and embassy personnel. Then, enjoy beautiful and powerful art songs composed by the most famous Finnish composers and performed by classically trained performers from Finland. Afterwards, feast on a sumptuous buffet of Finnish dinner delights and enjoy the company of other ICDC members. Don't miss this opportunity to discover the connection of ancient Finnish culture to some of today's epic art! KALEVALA DINNER MENU :: Cocktail hour :: Baked salmon pastry bites (Finnish ‘kalakukko’) Finlandia Swiss cheese with fresh fruit :: Dinner :: Finnish Beetroot salad Assorted Bread, traditional Finnish rye bread and barley- wheat bread Karelian meat stew Carrot casserole Oven roasted potatoes Vegetable paté (for vegetarians) :: Dessert :: Whipped cranberry pudding Requested Attire Business or cocktail attire requested. Tickets and Registration Tickets are only $45 for a limited time and $65 afterwards. Please reserve your tickets soon, as capacity at the embassy is limited. Cancellation Policy Please note that all online ticket sales are final. We are unable to offer cancelations or refunds online ticket purchases. Address Embassy of Finland 3301 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008 Parking at the nearby streets. Additional Event Information & Notes About the Performers Soprano Meri Siirala graduated with a Masters in Music, receiving the highest grade from the Opera Department of the Sibelius Academy in 2008. She has taken part in many Master Classes under the likes of Hartmut Holl, Roger Vignoles, Martin Katz, Tom Krause, Peter Kooij, Catherine Bott, Udo Reinemann, Ilmo Ranta, Eero Heinonen, Anna Bergamo, Wilma Vernocchi and others. Ms. Siirala’s debut was in a highly acclaimed production of W. A. Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, as Queen of the Night with the Pori Opera Company in 2002, and later in Tallinn and Parnu, Estonia, as well as at the Sibelius Academy. Kristian Attila is one of the foremost Finnish lieder accompanists and vocal coaches. He studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and in Malmo Musikhogskolan in Sweden, and graduated in 1998. From 1993 to 1994 he studied at the Opera Studio of the Finnish National Opera. Mr. Attila has been working for the Savonlinna Opera Festival and for the Finnish National Opera. He has recorded with several singers, recently a CD of Toivo Kuula’s songs with baritone Tommi Hakala (Ondine), and made recordings for the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). Furthermore, Mr. Attila has composed piano and chamber music and takes an interest in improvisation