”Maiju Vaahtoluoto, from Savonlinna, has a sparkling, joyful stage presence and a richly colourful, deep voice. Although her voice is powerful and large, it is also playfully agile when needed.
Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin SanomatMaiju Vaahtoluoto is an up-and-coming contralto from Savonlinna, Finland, who delights audiences with her effervescent stage temperament and her warm, rich, deep voice. Despite her young age, she has already been successful on the opera and concert stage and in singing competitions. She enjoys immersing herself completely in her roles, whether playing a witch, a silly old lady or a nurse.
Maiju's professional debut in the role of Third Lady in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte took place at the Finnish National Opera in December 2017. Other recent roles include Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Sibelius Academy Opera, and the Grandmother in Jiři Pauer’s opera Little Red Riding Hoodat the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Other roles include the Knusperhexe in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, Natalia Sedova in the world premiere of Kalevi Aho's Frida y Diego and Maddalena in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims. She will perform the role of Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in summer 2018.
For the 2018/2019 season Maiju Vaahtoluoto joins the Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble as a scholarship holder of the Patrons of the Deutsche Oper Berlin performing Filipyevna in Eugen Onegin, Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer, Maddalena in Rigoletto, 3rd Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Mother’s voice in Les Contes d’Hoffmann a.o.
Maiju is also an active performer of lied and church music. She has performed as soloist in oratorios such as Bach's St. John Passion, Mendelssohn's Elias and Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle. She has worked with many Finnish orchestras, including the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Sinfonietta and the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra. As a lied singer, she works frequently with many leading Finnish pianists and she is always thrilled to have the opportunity to perform this repertoire.
Maiju Vaahtoluoto won 1st prize at the Kangasniemi Singing Competition in 2016. The following year, she attended the international Hans Gabor Belvedere- singing competition in Moscow 2017 and reached the semifinals. In 2015 she was a finalist at the Timo Mustakallio Competition in Savonlinna.
Maiju received her Master's degree from the Sibelius Academy vocal music department in 2017. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in vocal pedagogy from the Centria University of Applied Sciences in Kokkola, where she undertook specialised studies in Opera Performance.
At an early age, Maiju began her musical studies in her hometown of Savonlinna, and in a specialised arts high school in the same town, Maiju participated in many different kinds of opera and musical productions. Boosted by this inspiring atmosphere, she commenced her path towards becoming a professional singer.
Maiju's singing teachers have included Sirkka Haavisto, Ritva-Liisa Korhonen and Johanna Rusanen-Kartano. She has participated in masterclasses with many leading artists including Helen Donath, Mikko Franck, Dorothy Irving, Soile Isokoski and Anne Sofie von Otter.
Maiju’s studies and development are supported by many Finnish cultural foundations.
In 2019/2020, she can be seen a.o. as 1.Norn in Götterdämmerung, Ulrica in Un ball in maschera, Floßhilde in Das Rheingold, and Schwertleite in Die Walküre at State Theater Oldenburg.
Hannu-Ilari Lampila, Helsingin SanomatMaiju Vaahtoluoto is an up-and-coming contralto from Savonlinna, Finland, who delights audiences with her effervescent stage temperament and her warm, rich, deep voice. Despite her young age, she has already been successful on the opera and concert stage and in singing competitions. She enjoys immersing herself completely in her roles, whether playing a witch, a silly old lady or a nurse.
Maiju's professional debut in the role of Third Lady in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte took place at the Finnish National Opera in December 2017. Other recent roles include Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Sibelius Academy Opera, and the Grandmother in Jiři Pauer’s opera Little Red Riding Hoodat the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Other roles include the Knusperhexe in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, Natalia Sedova in the world premiere of Kalevi Aho's Frida y Diego and Maddalena in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims. She will perform the role of Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in summer 2018.
For the 2018/2019 season Maiju Vaahtoluoto joins the Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble as a scholarship holder of the Patrons of the Deutsche Oper Berlin performing Filipyevna in Eugen Onegin, Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer, Maddalena in Rigoletto, 3rd Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Mother’s voice in Les Contes d’Hoffmann a.o.
Maiju is also an active performer of lied and church music. She has performed as soloist in oratorios such as Bach's St. John Passion, Mendelssohn's Elias and Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle. She has worked with many Finnish orchestras, including the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Sinfonietta and the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra. As a lied singer, she works frequently with many leading Finnish pianists and she is always thrilled to have the opportunity to perform this repertoire.
Maiju Vaahtoluoto won 1st prize at the Kangasniemi Singing Competition in 2016. The following year, she attended the international Hans Gabor Belvedere- singing competition in Moscow 2017 and reached the semifinals. In 2015 she was a finalist at the Timo Mustakallio Competition in Savonlinna.
Maiju received her Master's degree from the Sibelius Academy vocal music department in 2017. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in vocal pedagogy from the Centria University of Applied Sciences in Kokkola, where she undertook specialised studies in Opera Performance.
At an early age, Maiju began her musical studies in her hometown of Savonlinna, and in a specialised arts high school in the same town, Maiju participated in many different kinds of opera and musical productions. Boosted by this inspiring atmosphere, she commenced her path towards becoming a professional singer.
Maiju's singing teachers have included Sirkka Haavisto, Ritva-Liisa Korhonen and Johanna Rusanen-Kartano. She has participated in masterclasses with many leading artists including Helen Donath, Mikko Franck, Dorothy Irving, Soile Isokoski and Anne Sofie von Otter.
Maiju’s studies and development are supported by many Finnish cultural foundations.
In 2019/2020, she can be seen a.o. as 1.Norn in Götterdämmerung, Ulrica in Un ball in maschera, Floßhilde in Das Rheingold, and Schwertleite in Die Walküre at State Theater Oldenburg.