Maria Turunen

Biography

Finnish soprano Maria Turunen made her house debut at the Finnish National Opera in 2022 as Waltraute Die Walküre. In the previous seasons she was an understudy in Helsinki in roles of Katerina Izmailova Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Santuzza Cavalleria rusticana and Donna Elvira Don Giovanni. In 2022 she made her role debut as Santuzza Cavalleria rusticana at the Åbo Svenska Teater in Turku.

In 2018 Maria Turunen sang Sieglinde in the concert performance of the 1^st Act of Wagner’s Die Walküre with Joroinen Music Festival. Her roles in Finland have also included the title role of Suor Angelica, Lana in Uljas Pulkkis' opera All the Truths We Cannot See, Lady Billows Albert Herring and Brunhild in Oscar Straus' Die lustigen Nibelungen.

Maria Turunen won 1^st prize in the Helsinki Lied Competition 2021 in duo with pianist Armaan Madar as well as 2^nd prize in the Merikanto Competition 2022. After having graduated as a church musician, she obtained her Master’s degrees from the Sibelius Academy and the Stockholm University of Arts in 2022. She has received a scholarship for Bayreuth from the Wagner Society.