Matti Kalervo Salminen is a retired Finnish operatic bass born on July 7, 1945, in Turku. Before pursuing music, he worked as a carpenter and earned money for voice lessons by singing tangos in nightclubs. He studied at the Turku Music Institute and the Sibelius Academy before making his professional debut at the Finnish National Opera in 1969 as King Philip II in Don Carlos. Salminen joined Oper Köln in 1972 and became a regular performer at the Bayreuth Festival starting in 1976. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1981 as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, eventually performing there 132 times. Known for his imposing height and cavernous voice, he performed the role of Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte more than one thousand times. Salminen received Grammy Awards in 1982 and 1991 and was honored with the Pro Finlandia Medal in 1988. After a farewell concert at Oper Zürich in 2016, he made a brief return to the stage in April 2019 as Pogner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Berlin.
| Wagner: Götterdämmerung |
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Kauneimmat Joululaulut
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Savonlinnan Oopperajuhlat 100 Vuotta Kirkkokonsertti
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Georg Malmsténin lauluja
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Unohtumattomia lauluja
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Rantakoivun alla
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Myrskylintu
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| Härmän häät ja muita lauluja |
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Suomalaisia lauluja
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Lauluja onnesta ja kaipauksesta
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On hetki
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| Ei kiirettä kyytimies |
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My Christmas
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| Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer |
| Joulu on meillä |