SHORT BIO
The brightest star of the symphonic rock scene, Tarja Turunen is Finland’s most internationally recognized voice and a pioneering figure in the fusion of rock and classical music. A soprano, composer and songwriter, she reached international fame as the co-founder, voice and image of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish for nine years, collecting Gold and Platinum Record Awards with the band in several countries.
The unique combination of metal music with Tarja’s soprano lead vocals helped define a new musical genre, achieving worldwide critical and commercial success and inspiring a generation of metal bands and performers. But singing only somebody else’s creations was not her destiny. Free to follow her own inspirations, heart and dreams, Tarja embarked on a solo career that allowed her to build a musical world of her own across both classical and metal music.
Her solo rock career officially began with My Winter Storm, released internationally by Universal Music in 2007 in more than 80 countries and achieving Gold Record Awards in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany, and Platinum Record Awards in Finland and Russia. It was followed by What Lies Beneath (2010), Colours in the Dark (2013), The Brightest Void and The Shadow Self (2016), and In The Raw (2019), further developing the combination of sophisticated orchestration and her classically trained voice with a darker and heavier musical core.
Performing live has always been every bit as important to Tarja as her work in the studio. Throughout her career, she has performed over one thousand shows worldwide, from intimate theatres to arenas and some of the world’s largest festivals. At Woodstock in Poland, she performed in front of approximately 500,000 people, while The Shadow Shows world tour alone took her through 40 countries for more than 200 concerts. Her live career has been immortalised in releases including Act I, Luna Park Ride and Act II.
At the same time, Tarja has maintained a parallel career in classical music. Since 2005, her traditional Christmas concerts have become an essential part of her musical life. Her first Christmas album, Henkäys Ikuisuudesta, achieved double Platinum status in Finland, while her classical work has taken her to concert halls, churches and opera stages around the world, including two appearances at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. In 2015, she released her first classical studio album, Ave Maria – En Plein Air.
Tarja’s ability to move naturally between classical and rock music has also inspired projects such as Beauty and the Beat, performed with symphonic orchestra, choir and drummer Mike Terrana, combining works by Puccini, Mozart and Bach with songs by Led Zeppelin, Queen and Tarja herself.
Her passion for exploring the darker side of Christmas music led to From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas)in 2017, followed by sold-out orchestral concerts across Europe. Its highly anticipated sequel, Dark Christmas, arrived in 2023, once again combining her classically trained voice with grand orchestral arrangements and cinematic, haunting atmospheres.
Beyond her own releases, collaborations and special projects have always played an important role in Tarja’s career. She has recorded with artists including Within Temptation, Scorpions, Mike Oldfield, Doro Pesch, Schiller, Primal Fear and Marko Hietala. Her electronic project Outlanders with Torsten Stenzel brought together an extraordinary collection of guitarists including Trevor Rabin, Al Di Meola, Joe Satriani, Mike Oldfield, Jennifer Batten, Marty Friedman and Steve Rothery.
On stage, she has shared tours and performances with artists ranging from Alice Cooper and Stratovarius to Within Temptation and her former Nightwish bandmate Marko Hietala, with whom she reunited for the worldwide Living the Dream – Together tour. In 2024, she also took part in the all-star Rock Meets Classic arena tour in Germany.
Tarja’s career has extended beyond music recordings and touring. She was nominated for the Emma Award in Finland and the Echo Award in Germany and became the first Finnish solo artist to achieve a Gold Record in Germany. In 2015 and 2016, she starred as a coach on The Voice of Finland, leading her team to victory in both seasons. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also created her first book, Singing In My Blood, published by Rocket 88 in 2021.
In 2022, Best Of – Living The Dream celebrated the first fifteen years of Tarja’s solo career, bringing together her best-known songs, personal favourites and rarities. She spent the following years touring the world with the Living the Dreamtour while continuing her traditional Christmas concerts and participating in international projects, including the final edition of the legendary Rock Meets Classic in Germany.
At the same time, a new chapter was taking shape. Released in June 2026, Frisson Noir is one of the darkest and most ambitious records of Tarja’s solo career, combining the cinematic and symphonic elements that have always been part of her musical identity with a heavier and more intense metal sound. Featuring guest appearances by Marko Hietala, Apocalyptica, Dani Filth and Chad Smith, the album was produced by Tarja and Mic, mixed by Grammy-winning producer and engineer Neal Avron, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.
Tarja is now taking Frisson Noir on the road. More than three decades after taking her first steps as a professional artist, she continues to evolve without abandoning the contrasts that have defined her career: classical and metal, beauty and darkness, intimacy and spectacle. Still looking forward, Tarja continues searching for new sounds, new challenges and new ways to connect with audiences around the world.