Riku Pelo, baritone
 Riku Pelo (b.1974) has studied music at Jyväskylä University and at Stadia Helsinki Polytechnic (Bachelor Degree, Singing Teacher). He is currently studying opera singing at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. His teachers have been Raimo Laukka, Matti Pelo and Hannele Valtasaari. Presently his teacher is Prof. Petteri Salomaa.
His opera roles include Belcore (Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore), Bob (Menotti:The Old Maid and Thief), Jupiter (Offenbach: Orfée aux enfers), Kreon (Aalto: Antigone), (Purcell: Dido & Aeneas), Schlendrian (Bach: Coffee cantata), Iso-Venne (Saastamoinen: Velho-trilogy), Sharpless (Puccini: Madame Butterfly at Vaasa Opera) and The Young man (Kuusisto: Pula-ooppera) at the Nivala Opera.
In 2005 Pelo appeared in the world premiere of the opera 'Messenius and Lucia' by Olli Kortekangas in Oulu. He also performed the important role of Andrei Kovrin in P.H. Nordgren's opera 'Den Svarte Munken' (The Black monk) at the Vaasa Opera. In Spring 2006 he appeared as Nardo in Mozart's La finta giardiniera. It was a co-production of Sibelius Academy and Svenska Teatern in Helsinki. In 2006-2007 his engagements include the role of Freddy in My Fair Lady at the Tampere Theatre among others.
His appearances as oratorio soloist include Bach’s St. John Passion (bass solo, Jesus, Pilatus), St. Matthew Passion (Pilatus, Petrus, Juudas), cantata Ich habe genug, Faure: Requiem, Duruflé : Requiem, Liszt: Via crucis, Charpentier: Te Deum, Saint-Saens: Oratorio de Noël, Kostiainen: Eastern cantata Triduum paschale with Jyväskylä City Orchestra, E. Rautavaara: Vigilia with the Finnish Broadcast Chamber Choir.
Pelo has also appeared in musical roles at Helsinki City Theatre: in Guy Legrands' Les Parapluies De Cherbourg and as Prince in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Riku Pelo has been member of the Savonlinna Opera Festival Choir between 1996-2004 and of the Finnish Broadcast Chamber Choir since 2000. Since October 2005 he has become wellknown as a member of vocal ensemble Virtuoso.
FORTHCOMING PERFORMANCES:
FNO: KadosKissa (Missing Cat) for children
FNO: Handel, Giulio Cesare, Achilla (role debut)
AMONG PAST PERFORMANCES:
Turku Music Festival: Opera d'Alvida in Abo
LISTEN Yle Radio untill 24 Sept. 2011 music starts at 00.06.10(August 2011)
Opera Skaala: The Great Conspiracy (May 2011)
FNO: KadosKissa (Missing Cat)
Oulu Opera (FI): Oopperaduo Cavalleria Rusticana ja Gianni Schicchi
2009-2010 W.A.Mozart, Cosi fan tutte, cond. Howard Arman, Turku, Finland
Co-production by Turku Music Festival and Åbo Svenska Teater
W.A.Mozart: Don Giovanni, Joensuu
2008-2009 and 2009-2010 Musical play at Oulu Theatre Finland, world premiere, main role
Opera by Sibelius Academy: Ullman, Kaiser von Attlantis
CD-Recordings for labels:
ONDINE
Messenius and Lucia, Finnish opera by Olli Kortekangas (2005)
EMI
Virtuoso
Photo 1: W.A.Mozart: Cosi fan tutte, Autumn 2009, Åbo Svenska Teater 2009-2010, Riku Pelo in the role of Guglielmo and Essi Luttinen as Dorabella. Photo by Robert Seger.
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