Petteri Salomaa

Petteri Salomaa is one of the internationally most successful male Finnish vocalists of his generation. As the child of a musical family, he started his vocal studies during his teenage years, and completed his studies on the opera studies programme of the Sibelius Academy. Salomaa's career took off when he was just 19 on winning the men's category of the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in 1981. His operatic debut with the Finnish National Opera followed soon after in 1983 as Figaro in the Marriage of Figaro, along with his first roles on the international opera scene.

Salomaa was engaged by the Freiburg Opera from 1989 until 1991. Since the mid-1980s, he has appeared in the most important roles for baritone in many of Europe's opera houses, including at Drottningholms Slottsteater in Stockholm, and in Geneva, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, London's Covent Garden, as well as in Dresden, Düsseldorf, Trieste, Oslo and Prague.

Salomaa sang the lead baritone role in Erik Bergman's opera Det sjungande trädet (The Singing Tree), which was premiered at the Finnish National Opera in 1995, since when Salomaa has been a regular performer at the Finnish National Opera in prominent baritone roles ranging from Mozart's Don Giovanni to the Captain in John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer.

Petteri Salomaa has also performed regularly as an oratorio and concert soloist with the most important orchestras in the Nordic region as well as with several prominent European and American orchestras under the baton of some of the most well-know conductors of our time.

Salomaa is also an active lied singer, whose versatile repertoire ranges from classical European vocal literature to the latest vocal repertoire.  Petteri Salomaa has over thirty recordings to his name, many of which have received international prizes.

In addition to his artistic career, Salomaa has worked in positions of responsibility and expert positions within the arts sector and as a pedagogue. He was Professor of Vocal Music at the Sibelius Academy from 2003–2008, and as of autumn 2008 he is Visiting Professor of Singing at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

Salomaa graduated as a Doctor of Music from the Arts Study Programme of the Sibelius Academy in 2003. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programmes as an expert on singing and opera. He was artistic director of the Sysmä Summer Sounds festival from 2000 to 2006.

Petteri Salomaa