Petteri Salomaa, baritone

Petteri Salomaa is one of the most internationally successful Finnish male vocalists of his generation. Coming from a musical family, he started his vocal studies while in his teenage years, and proceeded to complete a degree at the Sibelius Academy. His teachers included his father, Pekka Salomaa, and Matti Tuloisela and Matti Lehtinen. He has also studied abroad under teachers including Hans Hotter, Kim Borg, Erik Saedén, Eduardo Asquez, Armand MacLane-Lanier and Susanna Eken.

Salomaa’s career took off when he was just 19 by winning the men’s category of the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in 1981. This was soon followed by his operatic debut at the Finnish National Opera in 1983 as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, as well as his first engagements on the international opera scene at the Ludwigsburg and Wexford festivals in 1985.

Salomaa performed regularly during 1986–92 at Drottningholms Slottsteater in Stockholm in the main roles of Mozart’s operas, among others. He appeared as Papageno in The Magic Flute in Geneva in 1987 and in Amsterdam in 1988. He made his debut in the United States in 1989 in Detroit as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro.

Salomaa was engaged by the Freiburg Opera in 1989–91, and he was a regular performer at the Frankfurt Opera in 1992–93. His roles at Freiburg included Father in Hänsel and Gretel, Belcore in L’ elisir d’amore, Posa in Don Carlos, and the title role in Billy Budd. In Frankfurt his roles included Papageno in The Magic Flute, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Count Robinson in Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte.

In 1995, he appeared in a production of King Arthur at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris for the anniversary of Purcell. This production, which was performed by Les Arts Florissants and directed by William Christie, was also performed at London’s Covent Garden and as a concert version in various cities in Europe and in New York in the US. Salomaa appeared in the role of Papageno at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in 1994 and 1997.

During the latter half of the 1990s, Salomaa performed at various opera houses in Europe, and his performances included Alidoro in La Cenerentola in Dresden and Düsseldorf, Papageno at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Figaro in the Barber of Seville in Malmö, and as Marcello in La Boheme in Oslo. In 2000, he appeared at the Schwetzingen and Innsbruck festivals in Legrenzi’s opera La divisione del mondo and in 2003 in the role of the Captain in John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer at the Prague National Theatre.

Savonlinna Opera Festival, The Magic Flute, photo Matti Kolho

The Finnish National Opera premiered Erik Bergman’s opera Det sjungande trädet (The singing tree) in 1995 and Salomaa sang the work’s lead baritone role. The production was also put on at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1999. Since then, he has performed regularly at the Finnish National Opera in the most important baritone roles, which have included the title role in Don Giovanni, Pasquale in Haydn’s Orlando Paladino, Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, the Captain in John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer, Dandini in La Cenerentola and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore. In 2003, Salomaa performed the role of Don Alvaro in Dario Fo’s version of Rossini’s opera Il viaggio a Reims, which received a rapturous reception.

Petteri Salomaa has also performed extensively as an oratorio and orchestral soloist. He has not only worked with Finnish orchestras, but also with the most prominent orchestras in the Nordic region and as a soloist with several of Europe’s and America’s leading orchestras. This impressive list includes performances with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Swedish and Danish radio symphony orchestras, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, London Classical Players, the Orchestre de Théâtre de Champs-Élysées, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the German Philharmonic Orchestra Rhineland-Palatinate, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Salomaa has worked with several of the most important conductors of our age, including some of the legendary names of the older generation such as Paavo Berglund, Eric Ericson, Neeme Järvi, Herbert von Karajan, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Charles Mackerras and Alberto Zedda. Included in this list are several of the leading figures in the field of ancient music, such as William Christie, Alan Curtis, John Eliot Gardiner, Thomas Hengelbrock, Philippe Herreweghe, Roger Norrington and Arnold Östman. Salomaa has also worked with some of the most prominent opera and orchestra conductors, including Donald C. Runnicles, Stefan Soltesz and Marcello Viotti as well as with a great number well-known Finnish conductors such as Okko Kamu, Juha Kangas, Hannu Lintu, Olli Mustonen, Sakari Oramo, Ari Rasilainen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Leif Segerstam, John Storgårds, Ulf Söderblom and Osmo Vänskä.

Finnish National Opera, Il viaggio a Reims, photo Heikki Tuuli

Frequent performances as a lied singer are also part of Salomaa’s diverse artistic portfolio. He has performed regularly at Finnish chamber music festivals and in European concert halls and festivals. The line-up of pianists that have accompanied Salomaa include the likes of Ilmo Ranta, Tuija Hakkila, Olli Mustonen, Gustav Djupsjöbacka, Eero Heinonen and Hartmut Höll. His repertoire covers an impressive spectrum of the most important German lied literature, Russian, French and British repertoire as well as classical Nordic and Finnish vocal literature, extending to the latest Finnish vocal music and songs and song cycles that have been composed for him.

Petteri Salomaa’s recordings number more than thirty and many of them have been the recipient of international awards. His recordings include several major opera roles such as Figaro in the Marriage of Figaro, Antonio in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix, Count Robinson in Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto and Prince Hatt in Bergman’s Det sjungande trädet (The Singing Tree). Among his other recordings are solo roles in oratorios and passions such as the bass solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Elijah in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the bass arias in J.S. Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion, as well as Jésus in Frank Martin’s Golgotha. Salomaa’s recorded works also include several chamber music recordings and opera performances on DVD.

In addition to his career as an artist, Salomaa has held elected positions within the arts sector and worked as a pedagogue. He was Professor of Vocal Music at the Sibelius Academy from 2003–2008 and from autumn 2008 he will be Visiting Professor of Singing at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. He has also given numerous master classes in Finland and abroad. Salomaa graduated as a Doctor of Music from the Arts Study Programme of the Sibelius Academy in 2003. As a leading Finnish expert on singing and the opera, he has acted as a member of the jury for several Finnish and international competitions, and has appeared as an expert on radio and television as well as in other capacities. He was artistic director of the Sysmä Summer Sounds festival from 2000–2006.

Petteri Salomaa’s beautifully melodic voice, versatile musicality and artistic ability that resonates with audiences has made him one of the most popular and respected bass baritones, and latterly lyric baritones, performing on the international opera and concert stage. Recently, his repertoire has expanded to also include some works written for tenor, such as the demanding song cycle by the Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin, My Age, My Wild Beast, and the role of Ulysses in Monterverdi’s opera Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, which he performed to great success at Drottningholms Slottsteater in summer 2008.

Hufvudstadsbladet, Lena von Bonsdorff:"...Petteri Salomaa is absolutely superb both musically and right down to his smallest expression and movement. It was worth it to see this production if only for all of the good nature that he emanates.“ (Finnish National Opera, Almi Hall, Mozart, Die Zauberflöte, Papageno, 9/2005)

Opera, Max Loppert, December 2008:"...and in the casting of the leading couple – the ever-admirable Finnish baritone Petteri Salomaa as a ruggedly mature hero (whose sterling stage presence and easy command of the high tessitura were completed by outstandingly idiomatic Italian delivery) and distinguished Swedish mezzo Ann Hallenberg as a dignified, tenderly unforced heroine particularly steady and affecting in her lowest lying phrases – the performance was guaranteed its true Monteverdian sublimity. (Drottningholm Court Theatre, Monteverdi, Il retorno d'Ulisse in patria, summer 2008)

Home page: Petteri Salomaa

AMONG FORTHCOMING PERFORMANCES:

HELSINKI-Espoo: Sellosali Finland, Welcome Clementi!
- A Celebration concert for the new forte piano instrument in Sellosali, Finland.
Tuija Hakkila -Ilmo Ranta - Antti Tikkanen - Markku Luolajan-Mikkola - Petteri Salomaa

HELSINKI-Midvintermusik I Östra Helsingfors: Vuotalo
Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin, pianist Lotta Emanuellson

PAST PERFORMANCES:

TOKYO, Musashino Civic Cultural Hall, Recital concert
1 September, 2009 "Dichterliebe"

Tokyo Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius, "The Tempest", cond. Mr. Naoto Otomo
5 September, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
6 September, Ryutopia Niigata
Soloists: Juntunen - Koskela - Salomaa - Hostikka

VILNIUS, Christopher Summer Festival, artistic director Mr. Donatas Katkus
13 August, 2009 at 7pm St. Catherine Church
Lied recital with pianist Steinunn Ragnarsdóttir:
"Dichterliebe" and songs by Shumann, Kuula, Sibelius

TURKU (FI), Music Festival, Monday 10 August, 2009,
Olli Mustonen & Rodion Shtshedrin
Mustonen: "Tähtitarha" - four songs for the text by Eino Leino
Shtshedrin: Opus 118: "My Age, my wild beast" Vocal cycle for tenor, narrator and piano. Text by Osip Mandelstam. Duration 28'

Sun 19 April 2009 at 3pm Sellosali, Espoo Finland, Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin, Tuija Hakkila, piano

Wed 11 Feb 2009 & Thu 12 Feb 2009 klo 18-19.10 Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, Beethoven 9, cond. Daniel Harding, i samarbete med Musikhögskolan och Operahögskolan

Sat 24 Jan 2009 at 7.03-9.05 pm, YLE Radio 1, Radio programme, "Flyygelin mutkassa". German Lied history. Studiossa kirjallisuuden tutkija ja suomentaja Teivas Oksala, baritoni Petteri Salomaa, pianotaiteilija Ilmo Ranta. Toimittajina Paula Nurmentaus ja Risto Nordell. (In Finnish).

Thu 22 Jan 2009 at 5.20 - 5.50 pm, YLE Radio1, Flyygelin mutkassa (from 14.1.2009)

Thu 22 Jan 2009 at 7pm, Pori Sinfonietta (FI), Promenadisali: "Pariisi ja Wien- unelmien kaupungit", Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde "Maan laulu" tenor Petri Bäckström and baritone Petteri Salomaa

Thursday 8 January 2009 at 7:00pm, Lappeenranta-Hall, Lappeenranta City Orchestra with cond. Tibor Bogányi. The 40th Anniversary concert of the national Lappeenranta Singing Competition. Soloists are Petteri Salomaa, mezzosoprano Tiina-Maija Koskela and tenor Raimo Sirkiä.

Opera Summer 2008: Drottininholm Court Theatre: Monteverdi, Il Retorno d'Ulisse in Patria, Ulisse

Radio Broadcastings: SR P2, 9 August 2008 live radiobroadcasting to all EBU countries, LISTEN the opera from the Sveriges Radio P2 archive
WDR 3, 23 August, 2008

Recension på SR P1 Kulturnytt 28. Juli 2008

Friday 13 June 2008, "Rodion Shchedrin Days In Armenia", Yerevan, recital with pianist Olli Mustonen, & Perspectives XXI - 9th music international festival

Thursday 22 May 2008, Tapiola Hall, Tapiola Sinfonietta, cond. Olli Mustonen, Beethoven: Symphony No 9 in D Minor Op. 125, Juntunen - Paasikivi - Pohjonen - Salomaa

Thursday 8 May 2008, Verkatehdas, Hämeenlinna (FIN), Songs by Rodion Shtshedrin and Olli Mustonen among others.

Thursday 8 May 2008, Verkatehdas, Hämeenlinna (FIN), Songs by Rodion Shtshedrin and Olli Mustonen among others.

Friday 25 April 2008, Tampere Philharmony (FIN), cond. Hannu Lintu, Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Juntunen - Luttinen - Katajala - Salomaa

Tuesday 8 April 2008, Verkatehdas, Hämeenlinna (FIN), Beethoven songs, pianist Olli Mustonen, violinist Meri Englund and cellist Joel Laakso

YLE Radio1: Rossini's Bithday Celebration, Soprano Sirkka Lampimäki, pianist Jukka Nykänen, LISTEN via Internet from YLE Areena

Finnish National Opera: Rossini, Cenerentola, Dandini

Turku Music Festival (FI), Robert & Clara Schumann, soprano Helena Juntunen, pianist Ilmo Ranta, 11 August 2007

Rauman Festivo (FI), Franz Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, 7 August 2007

Nokia (FI), Finnish songs, 15 July 2007

Iitti Music Festival (FI): Letters and music by Robert Schumann, Midnight open air concer

Friday 9 March, St. Petersburg, recital concert, soprano Sirkka Lampimäki and pianist Gustav Djupsjöbacka

CD RECORDINGS for labels:

Latest: Claudio Monteverdi, Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda..

Photo 1: Drottningholm Court theatre, summer 2008, Monteverdi: Il retorno d'Ulisse in patria, Petteri Salomaa in the role of Ulisse.

Photo 2: The Finnish National Opera 2006-2007, Rossini: La Cenerentola, Petteri Salomaa in the role of Dandini and Mezzo Riikka Rantanen in the role of Clorinda.