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This page will give you insight into my work. Please let me know if you wish to use some of the pictures or my biography. For more information please contact me or my agent.

I grew up in Finland in a bilingual family, my mother being Turkish and my father being Finnish. I have always felt like something in between. Music was a big part of my life – I started playing the piano at the age of five and soon developed a focus on singing. I sang in several choirs throughout my childhood and teens doing both alto and soprano parts. Music became a way of life, which it still is.  During my teens my family moved first to Malaysia before settling in Norway for some years. This was where I started my education in music, starting with Musicology at the Uni. of Oslo and later at the Norwegian Academy of Music, before moving back to Finland to study at the Sibelius-Academy.

After graduation from the Sibelius-Academy I was engaged at the Finnish National Opera as a soloist trainee in 2010-2012. This was a time of great value to me, where I got to learn about opera on and off stage. I did a number of roles including Nancy (Britten/Albert Herring), Second woman (Mozart/ The magic Flute), Mercedes (Bizet/ Carmen), Sesto (Handel/ Giulio Cesare), Zara (Reinvere/ The Purge – world premiere), Cherubino(Mozart/ The Marriage of Figaro) and Lucienne (Korngold/Die Tote Stadt). Since then, I have continued to widen my opera repertoire. I have kept on working as freelance singer, performing both traditional opera pieces and contemporary repertoire. 

I made my American debut at Bard Music festival in 2011 with a repertoire of songs by Grieg and Sibelius. I was invited back in 2013 to perform Stravinsky’s orchestral pieces Les Noces and Mavra.  In 2018 I sang the role of  Polina (Tchaikovsky/The Queen of Spades)  at Savonlinna Opera Festival (Finland) My Swedish debut came in 2019 at Norrlandsoperaen, singing alto cantatas in the production We – an unknown opera by Bach? In 2015 I sang one of the leading parts in Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s first opera _UR with performances at the Ultima Festival in Norway,  Reykjavik Arts festival and other European countries. Other world premiers include Olli Kortekangas’ oratorio VIA (2017) and Gisle Kverndokk’s opera Påske (Easter) in 2014 where I sang the role of Kristina. In 2019 I had my Danish debut singing the role of Kay in Hans Abrahamsen’s opera Snedronningen (The Snow Queen) at the Royal Danish Opera.  In addition to maintaining a diverse repertoire it is important for me to keep on developing my voice gradually toward new and more challenging roles. The work never ends.

I love opera, but I also have a big heart for chamber music. The connection between text and music is something that I have become increasingly aware of in recent years. The Lied tradition fascinates me by the intimate connection between singer and pianist and the endless possibilities in the musical interplay. This has inspired me to prepare several concert programmes comprising both modern and well-known song cycles, as well as collaborating with contemporary composers to create new repertoire. It is meaningful for me to keep the tradition of Lieder and songs alive, and to bring it forward and keep on developing it though my work.

I also enjoy singing early music, it is important for me to be a versatile singer. My baroque repertoire includes several cantatas and major oratorios by Bach and Handel, as well as more intimate songs by Dowland and Purcell. I started classical singing though baroque music and keep going back to singing the repertoire as part of my rehearsing routine.

Over the last ten years I have worked with pianist Juho Alakärppä. Among mention worthy work is a radio recording of Grieg songs for the Finnish national broadcasting company YLE and performances at Helsinkifestival, Oxford Lied Festival and the Norwegian National Opera. 2022 started with the release of our first album – Impressions du Nord - Nordic songs (Alba records) with songs by Debussy and Nordic composers influenced by the French impressionism. 

I currently live in Norway with my husband and our two children. When I’m not working or doing some daily tasks you will probably find me outside with my shuffle and a pair of gloves maintaining the garden. It keeps my mind happy and my feet on the ground.