Biography

Praised for her natural expression and sparkling timbre of her voice, Finnish soprano Piia Rytkönen is a requested singer both in her home country Finland as well as in Austria, where she is currently based. Her concert repertoire includes everything from opera to lied as well as modern music. From March 2022 on she is engaged to the Vienna State Opera Choir.

In spring 2021 she sang the main role in F. Suppe's Die Schöne Galathée and Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro in Graz (MUMUTH), Austria and in autumn 2021 she sang the role of "Elli" in world premiere of Petri Herranen's Kaukaisiin Maailmoihin in Iisalmi, Oulu and Kiiminki.

Former opera roles which Rytkönen has performed fully on the stage include Constance in F. Poulenc' s Les Dialogues des Carmelites (Graz, MUMUTH), Nerina in J. Haydn' s La Fedelta Premiata (Graz, MUMUTH) and Frau Fluth in O. Nicolai's Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Graz, KUG) as well as Clarice in J. Haydn' s Il Mondo della Luna (Tampere, TAMK).

Rytkönen has received a Special Prize at the Helsinki Lied! 2015 competition and has reached the finals in both Timo Mustakallio competition 2015 and Kangasniemi singing competition 2019.

Rytkönen has sung as a soloist with Finnish symphony orchestras such as Tamko, Tahdistin and Ylä-Savo Symphony Orchestra and is a regular member of the contemporary music ensemble Tampering Ensemble, which focuses on performing new music by young composers. In April 2022, Rytkönen sang in Mozartsaal of Wiener Konzarthaus with Philharmony Lugansk.

In the past two years Rytkönen has sang as a soloist in Dvorak's D-major mass in Kuopio, in the modern opera Köpfe by G. Lampersberg in Graz, at the Young Nordic Music Festival 2020 with Tampering Ensemble in Tampere, at a Fundraising Dinner in Belvedere, Vienna and in Urkuyö ja Aaria festival in Espoo, only to name a few. In the summer 2022 she is engaged to the Bayreuth Festival Choir.

Rytkönen completed her bachelor's degree at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland under instruction of Petri Antikainen. She obtained her master's degree in October 2021 from the opera class of the University of Performing Arts Graz, Austria under the instruction of Prof. Helena Zubanovich. She is also currently completing her second masters in singing at the Sibelius Academy. She has moreover gathered inspiration at master classes around Europe with teachers such as Irina Gavrilovici, Helen and Claus Donath, Ritva-Liisa Korhonen, Hartmut Höll, Mikko Franck, Rilla Kyykkä and different pioneers at the Lied Academy of Finland.

Her career has been supported by Pohjois-Savo Cultural Foundation, Olvi-säätiö and Ylä-Savon säätiö.

Media

Photos

Videos

W. A. Mozart: "Giunse alfin il momento... Deh, vieni non tardar" - Susanna's aria from Le Nozze di Figaro

E. Melartin: Aino's aria to the birch from the opera Aino

Repertoire

Opera and musical

Haydn, Joseph
La Fedelta Premiata, Nerina
Il Mondo della Luna, Clarice

Lampersberg, Gerhard
Köpfe,

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Le Nozze di Figaro, Susanna

Nicolai, Otto
Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Frau Fluth

Poulenc, Francis
Les Dialogues des Carmélites, Constance

Suppé, Franz von
Die Schöne Galathée, Galathée

Concert repertoire

Bach, Johann Sebastian
Johannes-Passion

Britten, Benjamin
On This Island

Dvorák, Antonín
D-Major Messe

Grieg, Edvard
Op. 48

Händel, Georg Friedrich
Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Requiem

Poulenc, Franz
Le Courte Paille

Rutter, John
Magnificat

Saariaho, Kaija
Leino Songs

Schumann, Clara
op. 12, op. 13

Calendar

2022

2022

2021

Concert reviews

"Her technically fluent work had that feisty expression and bright sounding soprano notes that the role of Clarice requires."

"Especially the two sopranos Ivana Ristic and Piia Rytkönen performed their highly difficult roles admirably and brilliantly"

"Soulfully beautiful soprano of Piia Rytkönen floated like “lux aeterna” to the cognition of the listeners"

"I liked her performance because of its musical touch; that singer has something to say."

Contact

p.+358 505281092

rytkonenpiia @ gmail.com