Tarja Turunen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tarja Turunen
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Turunen performing in 2024
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| Birth name | Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen |
| Born | 17 August 1977 Kitee, Finland |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
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Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen-Cabuli (born August 17, 1977), known as Tarja Turunen or simply Tarja, is a famous Finnish singer. She is best known as the first lead singer of the heavy metal band Nightwish.
Tarja studied classical singing at the Sibelius Academy and the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. She is a professional classical singer with an amazing three-octave vocal range. In 1996, she helped start the symphonic metal band Nightwish with Tuomas Holopainen and Emppu Vuorinen. Their music combined strong guitar riffs with Tarja's dramatic, "operatic" singing. This unique style quickly became popular and inspired many other metal bands.
Tarja left Nightwish in October 2005. She then started her solo career in 2006 with a Christmas album called Henkäys ikuisuudesta. In 2007, she released My Winter Storm, which included different music styles like symphonic metal. She toured the world to support her albums. Her first live DVD, Act I, was filmed in Argentina and released in August 2012. She continued to release new albums and tour, including What Lies Beneath and Colours in the Dark.
In September 2015, Tarja released her first classical album, Ave Maria – En Plein Air. She released her sixth studio album, The Shadow Self, in August 2016. Her second Christmas album, From Spirits and Ghosts, came out in November 2017. In 2018, she released Act II, a live album from her tour. Her fifth metal album, In the Raw, was released in August 2019. Her third Christmas album, Dark Christmas, was released in November 2023.
Contents
Tarja's Musical Journey
Early Life and Music Training (1977–1995)
Tarja Turunen was born in a small village called Puhos in Finland. She has two brothers, Timo and Toni. Her mom worked for the town, and her dad was a carpenter.
Tarja's musical talent was noticed when she was only three years old. She sang a Christmas song in church. She joined the church choir and started taking singing lessons. When she was six, she began playing the piano.
In school, Tarja often sang for different projects. Her first piano teacher, Kirsti Nortia-Holopainen, said Tarja performed a lot. Her music teacher, Plamen Dimov, noticed how quickly she learned new notes. Tarja faced some bullying at school because other girls were jealous of her voice. To help, Dimov organized music projects outside of school.
At 15, Tarja had her first big solo performance at a church concert for a thousand people. In 1993, she went to a special art and music high school in Savonlinna. For several years, she sang different types of songs, including soul music. Later, she was inspired by classical crossover singer Sarah Brightman and decided to focus on that style. At 18, she moved to Kuopio to study at the Sibelius Academy.
Joining Nightwish (1996–2005)
In December 1996, her former classmate Tuomas Holopainen asked Tarja to join his new music project. She said yes right away. During their first recording, Tuomas realized Tarja's voice had become much stronger because of her classical lessons. The band decided to use electric guitars to match her powerful voice. Tuomas then formed Nightwish as a metal band.
Nightwish recorded a second demo with more dramatic songs in September 1997. This helped them get a record deal with Spinefarm Records. Their first album, Angels Fall First, was a surprise success, reaching the top 40 in Finland. Nightwish started touring in clubs. That same year, Tarja also sang classical songs at the Savonlinna Opera Festival.
Because of her commitment to Nightwish, Tarja paused her school studies. In 1998, Nightwish released their second album, Oceanborn. This album focused on fast, melodic music and Tarja's dramatic voice. In 1999, Tarja also sang solo in a rock ballet called Evankeliumi. In 2000 and 2001, Nightwish recorded Wishmaster and Over the Hills and Far Away. They toured Europe and South America. During the Wishmaster tour, Tarja met Marcelo Cabuli, an Argentine businessman. They married in 2002.
In 2000, Tarja started studying at a German music university, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. She wanted to become a professional soloist. She chose this university because some people in Finland didn't take her classical singing seriously due to her metal band. While studying, she recorded vocals for Nightwish's 2002 album Century Child. Tuomas would send her the music, and Tarja would create her vocal parts.
In 2002, Tarja toured South America, performing classical concerts. After a busy world tour for Century Child, Nightwish took a break, and Tarja finished her studies. Nightwish then recorded the album Once, released in May 2004. This album sold very well in Europe. The band toured for Once throughout 2004 and 2005.
For Christmas 2004, Tarja released her first solo song, "Yhden enkelin unelma" (One Angel's Dream). It became a gold record in Finland. In 2005, she sang a duet called "Leaving You for Me" with Martin Kesici.
Leaving Nightwish
In 2001, Nightwish had a change when their bassist left. Over the next few years, the relationship between Tuomas Holopainen and Tarja's husband and manager, Marcelo Cabuli, became difficult. This also affected Tuomas and Tarja's relationship.
After a concert in December 2004, Tarja told the band she wanted to leave after one more album and tour. She agreed to keep her decision private until after Nightwish's new album. However, after the last concert of the Once Upon a Tour on October 21, 2005, the band gave Tarja an open letter. In the letter, they said they no longer wanted to work with her. They accused her of acting like a "diva" and being too focused on money.
This split and the accusations became a big news story. Tarja responded with her own open letter and interviews, explaining her side. She was sad that after nine years, the band announced the split with an open letter. Her husband, Marcelo, later explained that the band members had agreed on how to share earnings when Nightwish started. He said Tarja was not focused on money.
Even with the difficult split, Tuomas still respected Tarja as an artist. He said he didn't look for a similar singer because he thought Tarja was unique. Tarja also said she was proud of her time with Nightwish and wished the band and their new singer, Anette Olzon, all the best.
Starting a Solo Career (2005–2009)
After leaving Nightwish, Tarja performed several classical concerts in late 2005. Since she thought she would be on another Nightwish album, her Christmas album Henkäys ikuisuudesta (meaning Breath from Heaven) and a few concerts were her only plans for 2006.
In July 2006, Tarja performed again at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. She sang classical songs with Finnish tenor Raimo Sirkiä. In November, she sang at a charity concert for UNICEF. On December 6, 2006, Tarja performed a big concert in Finland that was broadcast live to many viewers. She was nominated for a Finnish music award.
In August 2006, Tarja began working on her first main solo album, My Winter Storm. This was the first time she wrote songs herself, with help from other songwriters. The album was released in November 2007. It combined symphonic metal with her classical singing. The album reached number one in Finland and sold very well in other countries.
She was nominated for more music awards. On November 25, 2007, Tarja started her Storm World Tour to promote My Winter Storm. She performed 95 concerts across Europe, North America, and South America, ending the tour in October 2009. In December 2008, an extended version of My Winter Storm was released. She also sang on a Finnish charity Christmas album and a song with Klaus Meine from the band Scorpions.
New Albums and Tours (2010–2014)
Tarja recorded her third album, What Lies Beneath, in 2009 and 2010. It was released in September 2010. This album mixed metal with classical elements in a new way. She started the What Lies Beneath World Tour, performing at big festivals like Wacken Open Air and Graspop Metal Meeting. She even performed with a full orchestra at some concerts. The tour lasted until April 2012. In 2010, she also supported Alice Cooper on his tour in Germany.
On July 17, 2011, she sang again at the Savonlinna Opera Festival with famous tenor José Cura.
In March 2012, Tarja won an award for "Europe's best crossover performer." In May 2013, Tarja announced her fourth solo album, Colours in the Dark, which was released on August 30. A song called "Never Enough" was released as a preview. Later that year, she was a guest singer on the song "Paradise" by the band Within Temptation.
In January 2014, Tarja shared that she was working on her Outlanders project, which combines her vocals with electronic music. In May 2014, the DVD Beauty and the Beat was released. It showed Tarja performing live with an orchestra, choir, and drummer Mike Terrana. The DVD included classical songs and rock covers. In July 2014, Left in the Dark was released. This EP had different versions of songs from Colours in the Dark.
Classical and Metal Albums (2015–2018)
On July 22, 2015, Tarja announced her first full classical album, Ave Maria – En Plein Air. This album featured different versions of the song "Ave Maria", including one she composed herself.
In October 2015, Tarja performed two new songs from her upcoming album: "No Bitter End" and "Goldfinger", a cover of the famous James Bond song.
Tarja announced a new album for summer 2016. She said she was working to create her heaviest rock sound yet. On March 14, 2016, she revealed the album title: The Shadow Self.
On April 7, Tarja announced The Brightest Void, a "prequel" EP to The Shadow Self, released on June 3. The Brightest Void included "No Bitter End" and her duet with Within Temptation.
The Shadow Self was released on August 5, 2016. The first song released from it was "Innocence".
On November 17, 2017, Tarja released From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas), her second classical and Christmas album. A graphic novel, From Spirits and Ghosts (Novel for a Dark Christmas), was also released with the album.
On July 27, 2018, Tarja released Act II, a live album and DVD. It was recorded during her world tour for The Shadow Self.
Recent Projects (2019–Present)
On August 30, 2019, Tarja released In the Raw. For this album, she collaborated with other heavy metal singers like Björn Strid, Tommy Karevik, and Cristina Scabbia.
On June 19, 2021, Tarja announced a book called Singing in My Blood, which shares her life story in music.
In late 2021, Tarja started a ten-year project called Outlanders. This project combines her vocals with electronic music and features guest artists like Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin. In August 2022, Tarja confirmed she was working on new albums.
On December 2, 2022, Tarja released her first collection album, Best of: Living the Dream. This celebrated her 15 years as a solo artist. She then started the 2023 Living the Dream Tour to support the album.
On June 14, 2023, Tarja announced her next live album, Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church. This album was released on August 11, 2023. It contains live recordings from her private performance at Wacken Open Air in 2016. The album includes metal covers like Linkin Park's "Numb" and Metallica's "The Unforgiven", along with her own songs and a Nightwish cover.
On June 23, 2023, Tarja and EDM producer Torsten Stenzel released their first album together under the name Outlanders.
On November 1, 2023, Tarja announced her third Christmas album, Dark Christmas, which was released on November 10, 2023.
On March 14, 2024, Tarja released the song "Left on Mars" with her former Nightwish bandmate Marko Hietala.
On December 6, 2024, Tarja released her ninth live album, Rocking Heels: Live at Hellfest. This album contains live recordings from her performance at Hellfest 2016.
On February 18, 2025, Tarja's tenth live album and sixth video album Circus Life was announced. It contains live recordings from her January 2020 show in Bucharest, Romania. This show was part of a special series called "The Best of Tarja: A Night to Remember." The performance took place on a circus-like stage and featured many guest musicians and singers.
Tarja's Singing Style
How Her Voice Developed
Tarja started serious classical vocal training at age 17. After high school, she studied music at the Sibelius Academy. When she first started singing, her voice was so powerful it could "shatter a lamp." She had to pause her studies because of her work with Nightwish.
From 2001 to 2003, she studied at the music academy Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. She trained to be a soloist. Tarja originally wanted to train as a choir singer. But at her audition, a professor noticed her talent and encouraged her to train as a soloist.
As a classical singer, Tarja uses classical vocal techniques. She explained that in the early days of Nightwish, it was hard to mix classical singing with metal music without hurting her voice. Classical techniques helped her control her voice, so she decided not to get extra training in rock/pop singing.
Around the year 2000, the mix of heavy guitar riffs and classical female vocals became very popular in metal music. Nightwish's new style, called "opera metal," quickly became famous. Tarja doesn't see herself as an opera singer. She has sung parts of operas, but she says singing a full opera needs special training and cannot be a side project.
When asked about the connection between opera and metal, Tarja said they have some similarities:
The scenes are very similar. There are many people who would never go to an opera and the same goes for metal. But the real fans are incredibly loyal. And both styles are bombastic and express strong emotions.
From Nightwish's first album, Angels Fall First (1997), critics described Tarja's vocals as "angelic" or "valkyrian." The Valkyrie image was even used in a music video for "Sleeping Sun", where Tarja looked like a warrior guiding fallen heroes.
On later albums, her singing became more complex. On Nightwish's Oceanborn (1998), her classical training was very clear. For the song "Passion and the Opera", Tarja sang fast, high notes similar to a famous opera song. "Sleeping Sun" needed very good breathing control. Tarja said she doubted herself when recording Oceanborn, fearing she wasn't skilled enough yet.
A different challenge was covering Gary Moore's "Over the Hills and Far Away" (2001). This song needed a much deeper voice than a typical soprano. Tarja worked hard and expanded her vocal range to include lower notes, which showed up more on her later albums.
For the album Century Child (2002), she tried a more "rock" sound. She still used classical technique but sang with less vibrato (the slight wobble in a singer's voice). Tarja felt she truly mastered this new style on the album Once (2004).
I feel very comfortable with Once because I have tried to change my singing style with Nightwish already since Century Child because Tuomas requested that, the songs requested that ... It has been hard work and I didn't manage to do that on Century Child, I was not very happy with it. On Once it's all very natural, how I'm singing and what I'm singing. But as I said, it has been really hard work because I've been a classical singer for the last ten years so it was hard to start over again and think of different styles. Of course I'm always singing with my classical techniques, I never sing with my poor speaking voice – I cannot do that anymore.
This deeper, "rock"-sounding voice on Once was praised by critics as a refreshing change.
Her first solo album My Winter Storm (2007) has both rock/metal songs and classical-sounding songs. Tarja uses both her classical voice and a rock voice. In many songs, she starts with a rock voice and then switches to a clear classical voice for big melodies.
Tarja's classically trained voice flies bravely over orchestral sounds and brute guitars. Like a phoenix from the ashes [...] she lifts up again and again for widely arching melodies, sometimes spurred on by multi-voiced female choirs.
Tarja explained that My Winter Storm was the first album where she could use her full vocal range.
Now that I can use the whole range of my voice, it feels very nice. I have never sung so low as I did on one of the songs on the new record and there's a song on which I sang my highest notes ever! I really have used a huge range on this album, because the moods are changing in every song and this reflects that.
Vocal Range
Tarja's voice type is soprano. Over her career, she has developed a vocal range of three and a half octaves. She has said:
I sang a repertoire of a mezzo-soprano for many years and because of that, still today, I have rarely quite low register for a lyrical soprano. Nowadays, I see myself as a light lyrical soprano.
Personal Life
Tarja married Argentine businessman Marcelo Cabuli on December 31, 2002. They celebrated their wedding in July 2003. They lived in Buenos Aires with their daughter, who was born in 2012. In 2016, Tarja said they planned to move back to Europe because of her touring schedule and her daughter starting school. She now lives in southern Spain. In October 2021, she shared that she had a stroke three years earlier after a tour in the U.S.
Tarja speaks Finnish, English, Spanish, and German very well.
Music Albums
Solo Albums
- Henkäys ikuisuudesta (2006)
- My Winter Storm (2007)
- What Lies Beneath (2010)
- Colours in the Dark (2013)
- Ave Maria – En Plein Air (2015)
- The Shadow Self (2016)
- From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas) (2017)
- In the Raw (2019)
- Dark Christmas (2023)
With Nightwish
- Angels Fall First (1997)
- Oceanborn (1998)
- Wishmaster (2000)
- Century Child (2002)
- Once (2004)
Concert Tours
- Henkäys ikuisuudesta Tour (2006)
- Storm World Tour (2007–2009)
- What Lies Beneath World Tour (2010–2012)
- Colours on the Road (2013–2015)
- The Shadow Shows (2016–2018)
- A Nordic Symphony Tour (2018)
- The Raw Tour (2019–2023)
- Living the Dream (2024–2026)
As a support act
- Bleed Out Tour (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Tarja Turunen para niños
