Juha Hostikka, tenor

Juha Hostikka studied singing at the Sibelius Academy. His teacher at the academy was the international tenor, the late Peter Lindroos. Currently Hostikka is studying with Irina Gavrilovici.

Hostikka has been guesting at the Finnish National Opera since 1999 (Falsky in Markus Fagerudd’s children’s opera The Beggars). His latest role was as Carmelo in the children’s opera “Kahlekuningas ja Karkuri”. He has also performed at the Vaasa and Oulu operas and at the Pori Opera in the role of Monostatos in Mozart’s Magic Flute in 2002, as well as at the Pori Opera in the role of Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen in 2003.
Other roles performed in 2003-2004 include Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas by H. Purcell, Pekka Larsson in the opera The Ring of the King by Ilkka Kuusisto, Doctor of Astrology in Kaikkeuden Ytimessä by Seppo Paakkunainen and Conte Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia by Paisiello.

Kahlekuningas ja Karkuri, photo Heikki Tuuli

In autumn 2005 Juha Hostikka appeared as Armed Man in Mozart’s Magic Flute in the Finnish National Opera's Almi Hall. In February 2006 he was heard as Priidik the forester in Tauno Pylkkänen’s opera The Wolf’s Bride. In March he is appearing at the Alexander Theatre, Helsinki, in Philip Glass's opera "In the Penal Colony".

At the Savonlinna Opera Festival Hostikka has participated in performances of Jaakko Kuusisto’s children’s opera Kalevala of the Dogs in 2004 - 2005. In 2006 he performed the role of The Pirate Chief in Jukka Linkola’s new family opera ”One Spooky Night”. His future engagements includes both childen's operas.

In 2005 Juha Hostikka featured as a soloist in a concert version of the musical Chess with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Hostikka has also sung in concerts in Estonia, Sweden, the UK and France.

Hufvudstadsbladet, Mikael Kosk: "I huvudrollen har Helena Juntunen et utmanande sångstämma som kräver en del vokal ekvilibrikstik, och det är utan tvekan genom musiken, inte skådespeleriet som hon gestaltar ett mycket känsloladdat kvinnoöde. Av de många övriga rollerna är det särskilt tre man fäster sig vid: Sanna Kurki-Suonios blodfyllda zigenarberättare Husso, Juha Hostikkas försagda, blyga och känsliga älskare, och Jorma Hynninens furiöst nedstämda husbonde - så ser en människa som känner ett svek inom sig ut." (Anna Liisa av Veli-Matti Puumala på basis Minna Canths pjäs med samma Namn. Tapiola Sinfonietta. Helsingfors festspel. 18.8.2008 premiär på Alexansteatern).

FORTHCOMING APPEARANCES:

Oulu Opera: Operaduo Cavalleria Rusticana ja Gianni Schicchi

AMONG PAST PERFORMANCES:

Oulu Opera (FI): Aulis Sallinen, Red Line,The Agitator

The Helsinki Festival 2008: Premiere of "Anna Liisa", new Finnish opera by Veli-Matti Puumala. Production by Opera Kapsäkki.

The Finnish National Opera: The King of Chains and the Runaway Princess

Opera Skaala, Finland: Turing Machine

Savonlinna Opera Festival 2007: One Spooky Night and The Canine Kalevala

Wednesday 18 August, Prom 42:Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall

Visiting FNO, Mozart: La finta semplice "Blonde of Buenos Aires". Performed in Finnish. Production by Opera pianO.

Photo: Premiere of the Finnish opera "Anna Liisa" by Veli-Matti Puumala, August 2008. In the picture soprano Helena Juntunen and Juha Hostikka.