The Finnish tenor, Ville Salonen studied music theater and opera in Finland at the National Theatre Academy and graduated 2000. He has also studied International Relations in the University of Tampere. He is continuing his studies with Kammersänger Tom Krause and with professor Dorothy Irving.

He has since his graduation sang with major Finnish orchestras and performed in major theatres and opera companies. He has been performing since 2005 at Finnish National Opera and also in Glyndebourne, England and Estonia- theatre, Tallin.

 

He has had singing lessons, courses and master classes also with: Dorothy Irving, Irina Gavrilovici, Peter Schreier, Regine Crespin. He has worked with conductors such as Ralf Gothoni, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and Yan Pascal Tortelier. He has sung in opera performances and in concerts in Finland, Russia, France, Germany and Sweden. His beautiful ringing voice along with his acting and dancing abilities make him perfect for the lyric tenor opera and operetta repertoire, as well as modern and musical repertoire. 

 

He has won many grants and awards for his singing including the 2^nd prize in major Finnish national competition, the Lappeenranta singing competition for young singers. For instance Karita Mattila, Jorma Hynninen and Soile Isokoski have won the competition earlier. He is also a very popular TV actor and performer in Finland.

 

Work Experience

Grants

Finnish Opera Council, Opera Bank 2004-6

Pro Musica scholarship 2008

SKR 1998

Kordelin Foundation 2002

 2^nd Prize The Lappeenranta singing competition 2004

 

TV-experience

TV –series Headhunters Channel 4  2002-4 -6

TV –series Iskelmäkaruselli, YLE TV 1 1999

Operatic repertoire includes:

Mozart: Zauberflöte: Tamino, Oulu, 2010

Haydn: Il Mondo della Luna, Cecco Helsinki 2010

Ravel: L’heure espagnol, Torquemada, Helsinki 2010

Kuusisto: Taipaleenjoki, Sola, Ilmajoki 2010

Mozart: Cosí fan tutte, Ferrando Helsinki 2009

Haydn: Il Mondo della Luna, Ecclitico Helsinki 2009

Britten: Prodigal Son, Prodigal Son Naantali, 2009

Verdi Don Carlo, Conte di Lerma, Tampere Opera 2009

Ala-Kotila: Pinus Sylvestris; Kalervo, Rimpparemmi, 2006

Puccini; Manon Lescaut; Maestro di Ballo, Finnish National Opera FNO, 2005

Strauss; Salome; 2. Jew, FNO, 2005

Mozart; Cosí/ School4 lovers, Freddie, Ferrando, Glyndebourne, FNO 2006

Haydn  L’infedeltà delusa, Nencio, Vammala 2004

Mozart:Zauberflöte, Tamino, Vaasa Opera 2004 

Offenbach: Tales of Hoffmann, Pitichinaccio, Andreas, Franz, Cochenille 2003,  2008

Kuusisto: Ring of the King, Kustaa Perttilä, 2002, Vaasa opera

Verdi: Otello, Cassio; Rimski -Korsakov theatre St.Petersburg, /Vaasa opera 2001

Janaček: Cunny Little Vixen, Pashek, Rooster, Woodpecker Turku Opera 2000

Operetta

Kalmán, Csardasfürstin,  Boni 2010

Abraham: Ball in Savoy, Marquis Kerava 2009

Lehar: Circus Princess, Toni, Kerava 2007

Lehar: Lustige Wittwe, Camille de Rossillon, Kotka,2001 TTT 2002-3  Kerava 2005

Offenbach: Orfeus en Enfers, Orfeus, Merkurius,  2001 Stadia

Children’s opera

Almila: Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh, FNO 2010

Alander: KadosKissa, Oskari, Kreivi Forelli & Kupla, FNO 2010

 Fagerrud: 7 Dogbrothers Savonlinna opera Festival 2008-9

Fagerrud War December, Finnish National Opera 2007-8

Alander: Kahlekuningas ja Karkuri Finnish National Opera 2006-7

Musicals

Bernstein; West Side Story; Tony

Schönberg: Miss Saigon,Chris,

Rodgers:Cinderella,

Hanian: Calypso, Orpheus

Casey -Jacobs: Grease: Danny

 

Oratorios

Mozart: Requiem

Haydn: Nelson Messe 

              Stabat Mater

Mozart: G-major Messe