Matti Salminen

Matti Salminen is one of the leading basses of our time. Born in Turku (Finland) in 1945, he was educated in his home town, at the Sibelius Academy Helsinki, as well as in Italy and Germany. From 1972-1980 he was engaged at the Cologne opera. In 1972 he appeared for the first time as a guest in Zurich as Sarastro. Following his Gremin with Götz Friedrich and Gerd Albrecht at the beginning of Drese's era, Matti Salminen regularly returns to Zurich as a guest and has been an ensemble member since 1984-85. Matti Salminen appeared regularly at the Bayreuth Festival from 1976-1988 and at the Savonlinna Festival from 1967-1998. Apart from that, he is a guest at all important opera houses all over the world. In 2000, he sang the title role of Aulis Sallinen's opera Lear in Helsinki and in 2003 sang the title part in Rasputin by Einojuhani Rautavaara. In 2005, Matti Salminen was Gurnemanz in a new Parsifal staging by Harry Kupfer. Further engagements include Parsifal and Tristan in Vienna, Fidelio, Parsifal, Don Carlo and Die Meistersinger at the Bavarian State Opera Munich, Fidelio in Helsinki and Valencia as well as Don Carlo in Zurich and Vienna.