Finnish mezzo soprano Tuija Knihtilä studied at the Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki before pursuing further studies in Berlin at the Hochschule der Künste and Zurich at the International Opera Studio.
Until 2010 she was engaged as a soloist in the ensemble of the Finnish National Opera, where she performed in productions like Così fan tutte, Rigoletto, Carmen, and particularly distinguished herself in the role of Amneris/Aida. Since 2004 she is a regular guest at the Savonlinna Opera Festival.
The past seasons saw Ms. Knihtilä’s great success as Komponist/Ariadne auf Naxos, as Venus/Tannhäuser at the Oslo Opera, her debut as Brangäne/Tristan und Isolde in Weimar, and her participation in the world premiere of Kimmo Hakola’s opera La Fenice at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Furthermore, she returned to Oslo as Santuzza/Cavalleria Rusticana and Brangäne/Tristan und Isolde, the latter resulting in an immediate invitation and her debut at the Teatro la Fenice in a
production of Myung Whun Chung.
Further highlights of the recent past include performances as Brangäne in Chemnitz, Amneris in Sao Paulo and Texas, Venus/Tannhäuser in Copenhagen and Frankfurt, the latter in a production by Vera Nemirova and under the baton of Constantin Trinks, her celebrated interpretation of Ortrud in Savonlinna, the new productions of Amneris/Aida at the opera Malmö and at the Theater Bonn,
conducted by Will Humburg, a highly successful concert tour with Aulis Sallinen’s opera Kullervo, her role debut as Laura in the new production of La Gioconda in Malmö, and the world premiere of Aulis Sallinen’s opera Castle in the Water at the Savonlinna Festival 2017.
A particular highlight was Lohengrin at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, where she undertook Ortrud on short notice under the baton of Alexander Vedernikov and was celebrated as best Ortrud
of all times for her interpretation.
Tuija Knihtilä is also a sought-after concert singer. She works regularly with conductors such as Leif Segerstam, Jukka Pekka Saraste, and Mikko Franck and with leading Scandinavian and European orchestras. The celebrated Verdi Requiem in season 2017/18 with the Gothenburg Symphony under
Roberto Rizzi Brignoli deserves particular mention.
Her engagements lead her to Bergen for a new production of Der fliegende Holländer/Mary, to Helsinki as Kundry/Parsifal in the staging by Harry Kupfer and under the baton of Pinchas Steinberg, as well as to Stockholm where she will sing the mezzo part in Sibelius’ Kullervo.
Knihtilä returned to the role of Kundry in Hans Schüler’s historical Parsifal production in Mannheim in the spring season 2020.
Her other engagements in 2020 included the title role of Carmen at the Festival in Savonlinna, cancelled due to Covid19, and Kundry in Parsifal at Eurajoki Festival.
In 2021 she returned to Eurajoki Festival as Fricka in both Das Rgeingold and Die Walküre.
In 2022 she sang the title role in Carmen at Savonlinna Festival and Waltraute in Götterdämmerung at Eurajoki Festival.
In 2023 she sang Brangäane in Tritsan und Isolde at Eurajoki Festival and Kundry at Theater Bielefeld, as well as several concerts.
The season of 23/24 will see her sing the mezzo part in Verdi’s Missa da Requiem, the role of Mere Marie in Dialogues des Carmelites and Waltraute in Götterdämmerung at the Finnish National Opera.