Waltteri Torikka & Marko Hilpo
Biography Waltteri Torikka & Marko Hilpo
Waltteri Torikka
has established himself as one of the most sought-after opera singers of his generation in Finland. Torikka is known for his versatile repertoire and adaptability, and he feels equally at home in concert halls and on opera stages.
Throughout his career, Torikka has been honored with numerous awards, including the HSBC Laureates Award at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2009, the prestigious Martti Talvela Award in 2013, and the Pro Musica Foundation’s Young Musician of the Year Award in 2014. He was also the winner of the men’s category in the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in 2010.
Torikka has his Master’s degree from the Opera Department of Sibelius Academy and from the Royal Danish Opera Academy in Copenhagen.
Waltteri Torikka is a sought-after orchestral soloist and has performed with numerous orchestras such as the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Jyväskylä Sinfonia, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, and Camerata Salzburg. He has also been a soloist on tour with Den Jyske Opera, collaborating with several Danish orchestras. Torikka made his debut as a soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the title role of the Kullervo Symphony at the Proms Festival in 2015. He has collaborated with conductors such as Mikko Franck, Anna-Maria Helsing, Leif Segerstam, Sakari Oramo, Dalia Stasevska, Michael Boder, Leif Segerstam, Ville Matvejeff, Louis Langrée, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Among Torikka’s opera roles are title roles in Don Giovanni, Jevgeni Onegin, and in The Marriage of Figaro. He has also portrayed Papageno in The Magic Flute, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Silvano in The Masked Ball, Danilo in The Merry Widow, Melot in Tristan and Isolde, Amfortas in Parsifal, Escamillo and Morales in Carmen, and Marcello and Schaunard in La Bohème. Torikka has premiered several musical compositions and opera roles, including the title roles in the opera Mannerheim composed by Tuomas Kantelinen and Sillanpää composed by Seppo Pohjola.
Waltteri Torikka is also a prolific recording artist. His debut album, “Sydän,” recorded with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia, went platinum in record time in Finland. He has also recorded an album titled “Rakkaus” with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia in 2016, and a Sibelius album with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leif Segerstam in 2014. Torikka’s subsequent solo albums have frequently topped the official Finnish album chart.
In the current season, Waltteri Torikka can be seen as Belcore in Jyväskylä Opera’s production of ‘L’elisir d’amore’ and in the title role of Don Giovanni at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, as well as performing as a soloist with orchestras such as the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra, and Mikkeli City Orchestra.
Additionally, Torikka is the Artistic Director of the Hämeenkyrö Festivals.
