Premiärdansaren Frans Valkama har tilldelats Edvard Fazer pris av Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (The Finnish Cultural Foundation)

Tidigare har följande dansare fått priset: Aku Ahjolinna, Ulrika Hallberg, Maija Hänninen, Tommi Kitti, Jarkko Niininen, Juha Kirjonen, Barbora Kohoutková, Minna Tervamäki, Jaakko Eerola, Carolina Agüero, Timo Kokkonen, Nicholas Ziegler, Salla Eerola, Tiina Myllymäki, Samuli Poutanen, Michal Krčmář, Eun-Ji Ha, Linda Haakana, Abigail Sheppard och hela Nationalbaletten i Finland, som fick priset som en grupp 1994. Priset har tilldelats från och med 1984.

The Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Edvard Fazer Prize has been awarded to principal dancer Frans Valkama of the Finnish National Ballet. Valkama received the award trophy and the accompanying 10,000 euro cheque onstage at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet’s premiere of The Stravinsky evening on Friday 19 April 2024.

The prize was presented by the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, Anne Birgitta Pessi and CEO Susanna Pettersson, and the Finnish National Ballet’s Artistic Director Javier Torres, who was also a member of the jury. Besides Torres, the jury comprised Leena Niemistö, Chair of the Board of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet and Gita Kadambi, General Director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

According to the jury’s rationale, Frans Valkama’s musical talent, precision, and determination have earned everyone’s respect and admiration from the outset of his career. These qualities have also enabled him to reach the very highest technical and artistic standards, and over the years, his passion for dance arts has only grown and deepened. In addition to performing lead roles in numerous classical ballets, he has showcased his talents in a wide range of contemporary works. Beyond his prowess as a dancer, Frans is highly valued by his colleagues and the entire Finnish National Ballet staff for his remarkable empathy, readiness to help, and his impeccable work ethic.

Frans Valkama joined the Finnish National Ballet in 2005. He was promoted to soloist in 2011 and principal dancer in 2014.