Finnish tenor Markus Nykänen started his musical education by singing in the boys’ choir of his hometown Espoo near Helsinki and by studying singing at Kungsvägen Musikinstitut.
He has received lessons from Susanna Eken, Petri Lindroos, Margareta Haverinen-Brandt, Sherman Lowe, Mariella Devia, Vittorio Terranova, Kiri te Kanawa, Thomas Allen, Tom Krause and Rita Ahonen. At the moment he is coached by Daniel Sarge.
From 2006 to 2012 he worked as an actor and musical singer and gave his professional debut at Theater Viirus in Helsinki, followed by engagements at Klockriketeatern, Wasa Teater and Svenska Teatern Helsinki. From 2009 to 2012 he was member of the independent improvisation theater group Stjärnfall.
He gave his opera debut in 2011 as Azael in Debussy’s «L’enfant prodigue» in Raseborg, Finland. In summer 2012 he participated in the world premiere of Marco Tarallis’ contemporary opera «Nur» at the Festival della Valle d’Itria.
Markus Nykänen was member of Theater Basel’s young artists programme «OperAvenir» from 2012 to 2014 and sang Mengone in Haydns’s «Lo speziale» (director: Massimo Rocchi), Giudice in Verdi’s «Un ballo in maschera» (dir: Vera Nemirova), Garde in Massenet’s «Manon» (dir: Elmar Goerden), Knusperhexe in Humperdinck’s «Hänsel und Gretel» (dir: Ulrike Jühe), Spoletta in Puccini’s «Tosca» (dir: Jette Steckel), Triquet in Tschaikowsky’s «Eugen Onegin» (dir: Corinna von Rath), Die Sonne in Purcell’s «Indian Queen» (dir: Joachim Schlömer) and he was tenor soloist in Calixto Bieito’s production «De rerum natura» with music by Haendel.
The artist had a guest engagement at Theater Basel in season 2014/2015 as Cassio in Verdi’s «Otello». In the season 2015/2016 Markus was seen at Hamburgischer Staatsoper in Les Troyens as Iopas, conducted by Kent Nagano and in Carmen as Remendado.
He sang one of the leading parts in "Indigo" which had it's world premiere in January 2016 at the Finnish National Opera.
Last season, he returned as Cassio in Otello to Hamburg State Opera, and sung Tybalt in Romeo et Juliette as well as Malcolm in Macbeth at Opera Basel.
Upcoming highlights: Alfredo in La Traviata at the Finnish National Opera
He has received lessons from Susanna Eken, Petri Lindroos, Margareta Haverinen-Brandt, Sherman Lowe, Mariella Devia, Vittorio Terranova, Kiri te Kanawa, Thomas Allen, Tom Krause and Rita Ahonen. At the moment he is coached by Daniel Sarge.
From 2006 to 2012 he worked as an actor and musical singer and gave his professional debut at Theater Viirus in Helsinki, followed by engagements at Klockriketeatern, Wasa Teater and Svenska Teatern Helsinki. From 2009 to 2012 he was member of the independent improvisation theater group Stjärnfall.
He gave his opera debut in 2011 as Azael in Debussy’s «L’enfant prodigue» in Raseborg, Finland. In summer 2012 he participated in the world premiere of Marco Tarallis’ contemporary opera «Nur» at the Festival della Valle d’Itria.
Markus Nykänen was member of Theater Basel’s young artists programme «OperAvenir» from 2012 to 2014 and sang Mengone in Haydns’s «Lo speziale» (director: Massimo Rocchi), Giudice in Verdi’s «Un ballo in maschera» (dir: Vera Nemirova), Garde in Massenet’s «Manon» (dir: Elmar Goerden), Knusperhexe in Humperdinck’s «Hänsel und Gretel» (dir: Ulrike Jühe), Spoletta in Puccini’s «Tosca» (dir: Jette Steckel), Triquet in Tschaikowsky’s «Eugen Onegin» (dir: Corinna von Rath), Die Sonne in Purcell’s «Indian Queen» (dir: Joachim Schlömer) and he was tenor soloist in Calixto Bieito’s production «De rerum natura» with music by Haendel.
The artist had a guest engagement at Theater Basel in season 2014/2015 as Cassio in Verdi’s «Otello». In the season 2015/2016 Markus was seen at Hamburgischer Staatsoper in Les Troyens as Iopas, conducted by Kent Nagano and in Carmen as Remendado.
He sang one of the leading parts in "Indigo" which had it's world premiere in January 2016 at the Finnish National Opera.
Last season, he returned as Cassio in Otello to Hamburg State Opera, and sung Tybalt in Romeo et Juliette as well as Malcolm in Macbeth at Opera Basel.
Upcoming highlights: Alfredo in La Traviata at the Finnish National Opera