Johanna Rusanen

Johanna Rusanen has evolved into one of themost interesting Finnish dramatic sopranos of hergeneration. Her incredible vocal flexibility and strongsinging technique allow her to interpret heroines ofthe German, Italian, and Finnish opera literature. Shemade her debut as Venus/Tannhäuser at the TampereOpera in 2012. Soon afterwards she sang the leadrole Old Aliide in the world premiere of Purge by theEstonian composer Jüri Reinvere. Her next role debutwas Turandot at the Finnish National Opera (2013) andat the Teatro Regio in Turin (2014). She interpretedTosca at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and Leonora/Laforza del destino in the Tampere Opera (2015) as wellas her first Ortrud/Lohengrin at the Teatro Municipal inSão Paulo. She celebrated her debut as Isolde in 2016at the Finnish National Opera, the same opera housethat will see her first Brünnhilde in 2019, as well asthe demanding role of the Mother in Aulis Sallinen’sKullervo at the Savonlinna Festival (2017).In recent years, Johanna Rusanen has won particularacclaim for her portrayals of strong women in Finnishoperas, her best known performances being Riitta/TheLast Temptations in Nivala (2009), Anna/Ratsumies atthe Savonlinna Opera Festival (2005/06) and Aalo/TheWolf’s Bride in Helsinki (2006).Johanna has performed as an oratorio soloist and hasgiven lieder recitals in numerous European countriesas well as in Japan, Chile, the United States and NorthKorea. The soprano part of the Kullervo Symphonyby Jean Sibelius has become one of her trademarkpieces. She has performed it e.g. at the Grant ParkMusic Festival in Chicago and at the BBC Proms withthe BBC Symphony Orchestra led by Sakari Oramo.Her interpretation in Penderecki’s Dies Illa under thecomposer’s baton was awarded a Grammy in 2017.