Juhana Suninen, tenor

Juhana Suninen began his vocal studies in the adult department of the Tampere Conservatory (Finland) in 1997 as a pupil of Petri Antikainen. He has studied Theatre Music and Music Drama at the Pirkanmaa Polytechnic University of Applied Sciences since 2001, continuing with Petri Antikainen there, as well. Since 2003, his teacher has been Seppo Ruohonen. He has supplemented his studies in master classes with Jaakko Ryhänen, Esko Jurvelin, Ilmo Ranta, etc.

In 2005, he won first prize at the Jyväskylä Tenor Competition in Finland. In the same year, he was one of the finalists in Finland’s Merikanto Singing Competition at Art Centre Salmela. In January 2006, he was one of the finalists at the Lappeenranta Singing Competition, where he was also awarded a special prize.

In Autumn 2006, Juhana Suninen debuted as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Oulu Opera and as Don Luigino in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims. In Spring 2007 his engagements includes a debut as Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in Jyväskylä and Mikkeli, Finland. His operatic roles include Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Tamino in Mozart’s Magic Flute, which was a co-production with the Tampere Conservatory and the Finnish National Opera 2004-2005. He has sung 1st tenor with the Finnish National Opera Choir since 2005.

Suninen has also appeared in musical roles at the Helsinki City Theatre — as Captain Schulz in Miss Saigon — and as Riff and cover soloist for Tony in West Side Story at the Kouvola Theatre. In Spring 2007 he will be heard at the Tampere Theatre in the new Finnish musical "Patukkaooppera" composed by Iiro Rantala. In addition, he has become well known to the general public as a member of vocal ensemble Virtuoso.

FORTHCOMING APPEARANCES:

Keski-Suomen Alueooppera (Jyväskylä, Finland): Verdi, La Traviata, Alfredo

PAST:

World premiere in September 2007, Tampere Theatre, Finland: "Patukkaooppera" a new musical composed by pianist Iiro Rantala

Sunday 1 April 2007 at 6:00 pm, Joensuu, Finland, W.A.Mozart:Requiem, Tove Åman, Tuija Knihtilä, Jaakko Ryhänen and Canzonetta Choir

Jyväskylä City Theatre: Tchaikovsky, Jevgeni Onegin, Lensky

The Finnish National Opera: Rossini, Il viaggio a Reims, Don Luigino

The Oulu Opera: Mozart, Don Giovanni, Don Ottavio

Photo1. Verdi: La Traviata, Jyväskylän Ooppera 2009, Photo by Matti Salmi