Mezzo Soprano / >emerging artist<
Young Finnish mezzo-soprano Pihla Terttunen joined the soloist ensemble at Theater Vorpommern in the autumn of 2018 after graduating from the Metropolia University in Helsinki. Her repertoire features the roles of Orlowsky (Die Fledermaus), Hattie (Kiss me, Kate), 3.Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Bejlja in Weinberg’s Wir gratulieren!, Vokuhila in Offenbach’s Vent du soir, Prinzessin / Räubermädchen (Schneekönigin) and Inez (Il Trovatore). Phila sang Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) and Mina Murray in Wildhorn’s musical Dracula in the 2020/2021 season. She began the 2021/22 season with Krenek’s opera “Jonny spielt auf” and continued with Alcina by Händel in the role of Ruggiero. In the summer of 2022 Pihla jumped into the Stuttgart State Opera’s production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo to sing the roles of Messagiero / Speranza. In the autumn of 2022, Pihla is looking forward to making her house debut as the Zweite Dame at the Finnish National Opera in Barrie Kosky’s production of Die Zauberflöte.
In 2017/2018 she was a member of the Thüringer Opernstudio and sang Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro), 2nd witch (Dido and Aeneas) and Paquette (Candide) with Nationaltheater Weimar as well as Giovanna (Rigoletto) and Merope /Sphinx in Enescu’s Oedipe with Theater Thüringen in Gera. As a guest she has appeared as Orlowsky in Kiel and Marcellina in Weimar.
Pihla Terttunen made her role debut as Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Theater Rudolstadt in 2017. She sang Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel) with the Sibelius Academy Opera and in concert with the Jenaer Philharmonie. During her studies she participated in student productions as Olga (Eugene Onegin), Charlotte (Werther), 3.Knabe (Die Zauberflöte), Medoro in Haydn’s Orlando Furioso. She also sang Poulenc’s mono-opera La voix humaine and several roles in Finnish contemporary operas. Pihla has also appeared at the Classic Open Air Berlin with the Philharmonisches Orchester Vorpommern, conducted by Florian Csizmadia, and in a gala concert with Staatskapelle Weimar, conducted by Kirill Karabits. She sang solos in Mozart’s Requiem and Missa brevis, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Bach’s Mass in B minor and Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder.
Pihla Terttunen obtained a Master’s degree from the University College of Opera Stockholm in 2016 and as well as a Bachelor’s degree. She won the 2nd prize at the competition Grande Voci (2016) in Salzburg and the 2nd prize at the Timo Mustakallio Competition (2013).
