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- updated 30.01.2003
Jorma Hynninen was born in Leppävirta
in the south-east of Finland. He studied first at the Sibelius Academy
in Helsinki, then with Luigi Ricci in Rome. Since his debut with the
Finnish National Opera in 1969, he has been a leading soloist, from 1984
to 1990 he signed as the Artistic Director of the company. In 1992-2002
he worked as the Artistic Director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival in
Finland. The festival is famous for its prestigious opera and concert
performances, held in a medieval castle.
In addition to
his commitments in Finland, Jorma Hynninen has an active international
career, particularly in the United States. He became acquainted there in
1980 through his New York debut concert at the Carnegie Recital Hall. In
1984 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodrigo in
Don Carlo. He has returned to the Met regularly, singing the role of
Count Almaviva of Le nozze di Figaro in 1985/86, 1986/87,
1990/91 and 1991/92 seasons. In 1986/87 he appeared as Wolfram in
Tannhäuser, and in 1988/89 in the title role of Eugen Onegin.
He also performed in all major European opera houses including the
Wiener Staatsoper, La Scala in Milano, the Bavarian State Opera in
Munich and in Paris, Hamburg, Barcelona, Geneva and Berlin.
The last years
have offered Mr. Hynninen various challenges as well as in contemporary
as in traditional operas. In 1997 he sang the title role in the world
premiere of Einojuhani Rautavaara’s opera Aleksis Kivi,
commissioned by the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The opera has toured
since then in France and Italy. In the season 1998-99 he sang among
others his first Nabucco at the Tampere Opera and Luna
in Il Trovatore at Los Angeles Opera. In the following spring he
returned to Los Angeles as Georgio Germont (La Traviata)
and performed the role of Amfortas in the Parsifal
production of the Antwerp Opera. In the season 1999-2000 he was seen on
the stage of Finnish National opera in the title role in Aulis
Sallinen’s Kullervo and sang the role of Simon
Boccanegra in Tampere, Finland. In January 2001 Mr. Hynninen sang
Rodrigo of Don Carlos at the Finnish National Opera.
Jorma Hynninen
has combined his operatic career with regular appearances in the concert
hall. He has performed with the world’s leading orchestras and with
maestros such as Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Mazur, Paavo Berglund, Esa-Pekka
Salonen and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. He has performed recitals in many
European and American cities, including London, Brussels, Amsterdam,
Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Paris, Salzburg, Vienna, Florence, St.
Petersburg, Moscow, Chicago, Boston and New York.
The
promotion of Finnish music has always been very close to Mr. Hynninen’s
heart. In 2000 Mr. Hynninen performed in two Finnish world premiers;
King Lear by Aulis Sallinen (Finnish National Opera) and The Age
of Dreams composed by three Finnish composers for the Savonlinna
Opera Festival. In the following season he performed in Kullervo
Symphony by Sibelius with Helsinki Philharmonic in New York, with the
London Philharmonic Orchestra in London and with the French National
Orchestra in Paris. In autumn 2001 he returned to sing Sallinen’s “King
Lear” at the Finnish National Opera. In 2002 Mr. Hynninen sang “Count
Luna” (Il trovatore) in Helsinki and the title role of the Finnish opera
“Juha” by Aare Merikanto at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. In fall 2003
he will participate in the word premiere of the opera “Rasputin” by
Einojuhani Rautavaara at the Finnish National Opera.
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