Bass singer Matti Turunen performs with the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. He began his musical journey in Outokumpu and Joensuu, initially focusing on piano and church music before turning to voice studies in Joensuu and Helsinki. He is on study leave (2024–2026) from his cantor position in Savonlinna, having previously served in parishes across Eastern and Northern Finland.
Turunen earned his Master of Music degree from the Church Music Department of the Sibelius Academy in 2014, completing his vocal diploma under Jaakko Ryhänen. He has furthered his studies through numerous masterclasses and has studied with Riccardo Zanellato, Marco Voleri, Jeffrey Goldberg, and James Vaughn, among others.
His stage roles have included Rocco, Fasolt, Hunding, Fafner, Colline, Timur, Bartolo, Sarastro, Il Commendatore, and the milkman Tevye. He has performed as a soloist with several Finnish orchestras in works such as Bach’s St. John Passion, and the Requiems of Mozart, Haydn, Dvořák, Fauré, and Verdi, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Turunen has also worked as a choir conductor, vocal coach, and music editor for spiritual programs on Radio Dei. He has participated in international projects with the Middle East Music Company and Narrow-Way, and has lent his voice to the role of God in the TV7 animated series Superbook.
His discography includes both ensemble and solo albums, such as Hiljaiset virret (Silent Hymns), Lauluja Itä-rajalta (Songs from the Eastern Border), and works with the Joensuu Orthodox Male Choir, the Lähde Choir, and the Laulu-Miehet choir.
