International Women's Club of Helsinki

Event full. Waitlist opened. Guided Tour | 'Spain Beyond the Myths', at Sinebrychoff Museum
2025-12-03 11:10 - 12:10 (Europe/Helsinki) | Sinebrychoffin Museum, Bulevardi 40, Helsinki, 00120
The imagery of Spanishness

… sprang from the interaction between travellers who fell in love with the country and the Spanish artists whose works matched their imaginings. The art of the 19th century contains motifs that accentuate Spain’s exoticism and unique characteristics. Today, tourists from all over the world are still looking for an authentic Spain rooted in these images. …

The exhibition takes us from paintings that draw on the traditions of the 19th century and the ideals and myths of Spanishness towards the new era and international movements. The curators are Helena Alonso and J. Òscar Carrascosa, c2c Cultura, and Salla Heino. This is the first time that Spanish painting from the 19th and 20th centuries has been shown on this scale in Finland.” (Sinebrychoff Museum)

Moment of Reflection, 1876, Luis Jiménez Aranda (1845–1928); (Oil on canvas, 38.8 x 23 cm, Photo: Colección Pedrera Martínez)

The core of the Sinebrychoff Museum is the unique home environment of Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff, which is permanently on display on the second floor of the museum.

The tour will start at 11:15 so please arrive at the museum by 11:10 latest to purchase your ticket or show your Museum Card.

Christmas Luncheon | Hotel Haven
2025-12-10 11:30 - 14:00 | Restaurant Haven, Hotel Haven, Eteläranta 16, Helsinki, 00130
Welcome to our Christmas Luncheon at the very elegant Hotel Haven!

Restaurant Haven is set in the beautiful Sundman building, the second oldest stone building in Helsinki. The dining room windows offer wonderful views over the Market Square and the harbour of Helsinki. The place radiates a warm and cozy charm ready for our joyful gathering.

We are very honored to have Xian Zhang, the extraordinary Chinese-American conductor, as our Christmas Luncheon speaker.

Zhang has been leading and performing with the world’s top-tier orchestras and is currently the Music Director of New Jersey Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Conductor Emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano. Zhang is making her debut now at Finnish National Opera conducting Tosca, premiere in this November.

Zhang is woman of many “firsts”: the first woman to hold a titled conducting position with New York Philharmonic, the first woman to lead a major Italian symphony orchestra, and the first woman to hold a titled conducting position with a BBC orchestra as principal guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The New York Times described Zhang as “a dynamic podium presence”.

Zhang is looking forward to a lively conversation with us. She will start with a few introductory words, then open the floor for informal Q&A. Come for an unforgettable opportunity to meet Xian Zhang!

Programme

11:30 – Arrival, greets, and casual mingling. Sparkling wine will be served.

12:00 – 12:40 Speaker’s talk, and informal Q&A

12:45 – 14:00 Christmas Buffet

Details

Date & time: Wednesday 10th December, 11:30-14:00

Venue: Hotel Haven, Eteläranta 16, 00130 Helsinki

Capacity: 54 participants

Price: 40€

The Club has sponsored part of your costs.

Members only

Last day to register or cancel is Friday 5th, by 10am.

No shows and late cancellations will be invoiced.

Meet Xian Zhang

2025/26 marks the GRAMMY® and Emmy Award-winning conductor Xian Zhang’s tenth season as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Under her artistic leadership, NJ Symphony won two awards at the mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in 2022 for their concert films, including “EMERGE”. As of 2025/26, she also becomes the Music Director of Seattle Symphony with whom she has been a long-term collaborator since her debut in 2008. Following her tenure as Music Director of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano between 2009-16, she continues as their Conductor Emeritus. As a guest conductor, Zhang appears regularly with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. Her Deutsche Grammophon recording with the latter (Letters for The Future with Time for Three, released 2022) won GRAMMY® awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Kevin Puts’ Contact) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

2025/26 highlights include returns to Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, St Louis Symphony, and National Arts Centre Ottawa. In Europe, she returns to Netherlands Radio Philharmonic with a performance at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and makes her debut at Finnish National Opera conducting Tosca. This follows her huge success at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she recently conducted Madama Butterfly (2023/24) and Tosca (2024/25) to great acclaim:

“The success of Kurzak’s performance was due in no small part to Xian Zhang’s sensitivity as a conductor. Zhang has an exceptional ear for balance, as well as the ability to draw the softest, most transparent tones imaginable from the orchestra. […] With such skills and obvious audience appeal, Zhang should prove a valuable addition to the Met’s conducting staff.” – New York Classical Review

Other recent highlights include subscription programmes with Boston Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Orchestra of St Luke’s (including Brahms Requiem at Carnegie Hall), and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

Zhang previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. In 2002, she won first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition. She was appointed New York Philharmonic’s Assistant Conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming their Associate Conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair.

Walk from Kaivopuisto to Punavuori
2026-01-08 10:00 - 12:00
Join us for a Walk and Coffee

Please join us on Thursday 8 January for a walk around the southern districts of Helsinki. Easy, flat walk around 5km (not circular but will always be close to public transport!). Meet at St Henry’s Catholic Cathedral – Kaivopuisto stop on Tram 3, or a short walk from Olympiatermial -Tram 2. We are heading to Punavuori for coffee.

Where: StHenry’s Cathedral, Pyhän Henrikin aukio 1 A, 00140 Helsinki

Difficulty level: easy

Deadline to register: 6/1/2026

Guest or members only: guests are welcome

Who is the organizer: Sarah Kolkman, sarah@iwch.fi

Early Birds' Morning Coffee
2026-01-09 08:15 - 09:30
Kick-start your day into the weekend by meeting eager ladies who all get better after some coffee! Come as you are and enjoy the cosy atmosphere of the café and the buzz of the coffee machine and people in perfect harmony. Let’s see if we make this a regular event.

Where: Fratello Torrefazione on Yliopistokatu 6, opposite Helsinki Uni Metro station

Who: Members and friends welcome!

We all pay for our own order

Visit | The Miettinen Collection
2026-01-11 13:30 - 15:00 | The Kunsthalle, Nervanderinkatu 3,, Helsinki, 00100
We warmly invite you to an exclusive guided tour of the Miettinen Collection,

… to the exhibition I Will Look Into The Earth — with a special opportunity to meet the collector, Timo Miettinen, in person.

Images courtesy of The Kunsthalle

This visit offers a rare insight into one of Finland’s most remarkable private art collections. From Finnish classics to leading figures in international contemporary art, the exhibition showcases over 100 works by more than 50 artists. Themes of landscape, nature, and intimacy are woven throughout both historical and contemporary pieces.Curated by Linda Peitz and Florian Peters-Messer, the exhibition invites visitors on a profound journey into the essence of artistic expression and the dialogue between tradition and modernity.The Miettinen Collection currently comprises around 1,500 works. With curiosity and bold vision, Timo Miettinen continues to expand it, championing both established and emerging artists from Finland, Germany, and beyond. The tour will be conducted in English.Address: Taidehalli/ Kunsthalle, Nervanderinkatu 3, 00100 HelsinkiMembers are welcomeMaximum capacity of the event: 20 personsDeadline for sign-up: January 08, 2025, 10 am

January Luncheon | Lilla Roberts
2026-01-13 11:30 - 14:00 | The North Wing, Krog Roba @ Lilla Roberts, Pieni Roobertinkatu 1-3, Helsinki, 00130
Join us in the heart of Helsinki for the first luncheon of the year, where we will be joined by the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye, Mrs. Deniz Çakar.

Programme

11:30 – 12:10 Speaker’s talk and Q&A, Meeting Room Selim

12:15 – 14:00 3-course meal, Cabinet ‘The North Wing‘, in restaurant Krog Roba

We are honoured to welcome the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Finland, Mrs. Deniz Çakar, as our luncheon speaker. Ambassador Çakar has 40 years extensive experience in diplomacy and international relations, and is delighted to share us her inspiring career journey and diplomatic experience.

Ambassador Deniz Çakar joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985 upon her graduation from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of International Relations. She served at various levels at the Ministry’s Departments for Greece, NATO, Cultural Relations and Africa as well as at the Embassies of the Republic of Türkiye in Damascus, Athens, Singapore and Canberra.

After serving as the Republic of Türkiye’s Consul General in Antwerp between 2009-2013 and as Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia between 2013-2017, she assumed her duties as the Deputy Chairman of UNESCO Türkiye National Commission and also the Director General of Overseas Promotion and Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since September 1, 2022, Ambassador Çakar has been serving as the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Republic of Finland.

Date & Time: Tuesday 13th January 2026, 11:30-14:00. (Please make sure to arrive in time. Speaker’s talk starts at 11:30.)

Venue: Hotel Lilla Roberts, Pieni Roobertinkatu 1-3, 00130 Helsinki

Capacity: 40 participants

Price: 31,50€

Members and guests are welcome

Last day to register or cancel is Friday 9th, by 10am.

No shows and late cancellations will be invoiced.

Visit City Hall, with Deputy Mayor Maarit Vierunen
2026-01-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Helsinki City Hall, Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13,, Helsinki, 00170
The Deputy Mayor of Helsinki for Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services, Maarit Vierunen will be hosting a visit to Helsinki City Hall.

Image courtesy of The City of Helsinki

Besides having a tour in the City Hall we will discuss Helsinki’s social, health and rescue policy and other topics that are recent in Helsinki.

Private Tour of the Newly Renovated Mannerheim Museum
2026-01-20 10:50 - 12:00 | Mannerheim Museum, Kalliolinnantie 14, Helsinki, 00140
The Mannerheim Museum has undergone extensive renovations, restoring Mannerheim’s home with respect for its history.

Please join us for a private tour of this former home of Mannerheim. The tour will help us to understand the history of Mannerheim and Finland, interpreting history from a new perspective.

What – often contradictory – roles and phases did Mannerheim’s life involve, and what can we learn from them? What does patriotism look like in the future? How can we foster civilisation and social peace in an increasingly divided world?

During the week, the museum is only available to visit by private tour and, therefore, the Museum Card is not accepted. We are offering this tour to members at a subsidised price of €25 per person.

Photo reproduced from Mannerheim Museum collection, photographer Toivo Robert Tikkanen, 1924

We recommend using public transport. From the centre of Helsinki you can take tram number 3 or 2. The nearest tram stop is the Kaivopuisto stop on Tehtaankatu.

The museum does not have its own parking area, but there are a few street parking spaces in front of the museum and on Itäinen Puistotie, some of which are chargeable.

Visit | Folkhälsan Research Center, with Professor Lehesjoki
2026-01-21 16:00 - 17:30 | Biomedicum, Meilahti Hospital Campus, Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki, 00290
Visit to Folkhälsan Research Center (FRC) at Biomedicum Helsinki, responsible for Folkhälsan´s research activities. FRC is an internationally renowed unit with focus on biomedical and health research within programs on genetics and public health.

Professor Lehesjoki will introduce us to the existing research world.

Professor Anna-Elina Lehesjoki, Image Courtesy of Folkhälsan Research Center

Anna-Elina Lehesjoki is Professor of Medical Genetics at the Medical Faculty of the University of Helsinki and has served as Research Director at the Folkhälsan Research Center since 2019.

She leads the Genetics Research Program of the Center, based in Biomedicum Helsinki. Professor Lehesjoki’s research has focused on investigating the molecular basis of several rare human diseases, with focus on epilepsy syndromes. Professor Lehesjoki is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) since 2000. She is a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters.

Welcome & Please make sure to arrive in time. The event starts at 16:00.

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Inside the Arts | Janne Räisänen @ Helsinki Contemporary
2026-01-21 17:00 - 18:00 | Helsinki Contemporary, Bulevardi 10, Helsinki
Join Inside the Arts in visiting Helsinki Contemporary for:

Janne Räisänen’s fourth solo exhibition at Helsinki Contemporary presents a new body of work in which the private and public, the low and the high, collide joyfully on the canvas through uninhibited brushwork and exuberant storytelling. Constructivism Begins at Home marks the Berlin-based artist’s first solo show in Finland in more than four years. His paintings are veritable surprise parties of visual and linguistic play.

The artist opens up his thoughts in a free-form private event.

Self Portrait as a Capricorn in Tiergarten, Janne Räisänen Photographer: Eric Tshernow

Photo: Jonas Tölle

About the Artist

Räisänen is a Berlin-based Finnish painter known for his raw, playful works that blend drawing and painting through humour, absurdity, and bold storytelling. His latest exhibition, Constructivism Begins at Home, brings together the private and the public, the low and the high, in exuberant, layered compositions filled with irony, wordplay, and visual surprises.

Gallen-Kallela, Klimt & Wien at the Ateneum
2026-01-27 10:30 - 12:00 | Ataneum Art Museum, Kaivokatu 2, Helsinki, 00100
The exhibition Gallen-Kallela, Klimt & Wien explores how Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s art developed in interaction with international modernists, such as Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser. The Vienna Secession movement, which was founded under the direction of Klimt and which set out to reform art, was united by an interest in developing new artistic identities, promoting a modern way of life, and creating large public works of art. The exhibition brings Gustav Klimt’s paintings to Finland for the first time. In addition to visual art, the exhibition features photography and design, including everyday objects, jewellery and fashion.

We will have an exhibition intro. An expert guide will introduce us to the themes and main artworks in the Gallen-Kallela, Klimt & Wien exhibition, with the help of a rich visual presentation, in the Ateneum Hall. After this we are free to explore the exhibition at our own pace. The intro lasts half an hour.

Please note that several groups attend the exhibition intro.

Photo: Kansallisgalleria | Finnish National Gallery / Aleks Talve

Entry price : €22 or free with Museum Card. The Club sponsors the introduction to the exhibition.
