Ilona Jokinen, soprano

Ilona Jokinen (b. 1981) began her vocal studies in Lahti, Finland in 1997 as a pupil of Leena Pulkki. Since 2001, Ms. Jokinen has studied with Ritva Auvinen at Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia, from which she will receive her Bachelor’s Degree (Singing Teacher) in autumn 2005. She has studied Opera at Sibelius Academy since 2004, continuing as a pupil of Ritva Auvinen there, as well. She has supplemented her studies in master classes with Sherill Milnes and Anna Bergamo as well as having studied lieds with Heikki Pellinen and Ilmo Ranta. In 2003, she was awarded first prize in the Nordic Pentti Koskimies Lied Competition in the national series, together with pianist Asta Lötjönen.

In 2005, Ms. Jokinen won third prize at the Merikanto Singing Competition at Art Centre Salmela. In 2004, she was one of the finalists in the Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition and sang at the finalists’ concert last summer at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. For 2005–2006, she has been engaged to perform at a recital concert in Tokyo and to debut at the Savonlinna Opera Festival where she will be heard as the Young Shepherd in Wagner’s Tannhäuser.

Even though she is still young, she has already performed in many opera productions: as Kassandra in Troijan Naiset by Finnish composer Jani Sivén, as Amahl in G.C. Menotti’s opera Amahl and the Night Visitors and as Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. In autumn 2005, she can be heard as Serpetta in Pergolesi’s operatic intermezzo, La serva padrona. She has also actively sung as a soloist with choirs and gave recitals with pianist Asta Lötjönen. In 2004, she was selected for the joint sponsor program of Sibelius Academy and TeliaSonera Finland for the period falling between 2004 and 2007.

NEXT PERFORMANCE:

Svenska Teatern, Helsinki: Mozart, La finta giardiniera