Karita Mattila’s lyric vocal beauty and her innate sense of theatre continue to set her apart as one of the most revered operatic sopranos in the world today with a career spanning 40 years.
In the 2024/25 season, Karita Mattila reprises the role of Kostelnička ("Jenůfa") both at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in Claus Guth’s production, conducted by Jakub Hruša, and at National Theatre Prague under Music Director Robert Jindra – following a special Gala concert in Savonlinna last season. She also reprises the role of La zia Principessa ("Suor Angelica") both at Opéra national de Paris under Carlo Rizzi, in Christof Loy’s production, and for her debut appearances with ABAO Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera under Pedro Halffter. Her season concludes with an anticipated return to the Gran Teatre del Liceu as the Foreign Princess in Christof Loy’s "Rusalka" under Josep Pons.
New roles have dominated Mattila’s recent appearances including acclaimed performances as Herodias ("Salome") in Lydia Steier’s new production for Opéra National de Paris under Simone Young; for the Canadian Opera Company under Johannes Debus; and for Houston Grand Opera under Keri-Lynn Wilson in Francisco Negrin’s production; and she made her acclaimed debut as Strauss’ Klytämnestra ("Elektra") at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and last season at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in Christof Loy’s new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano. Other recent outstanding performances include a triumphant return to the Salzburg Festival as La zia principessa in another Christof Loy new staging and conducted by Franz Welser-Möst; Poulenc’s "La voix humaine" staged especially for her by Finnish National Opera under Dalia Stasevaska, and in Glaus Guth’s award-winning production of "Jenůfa" for The Royal Opera, Covent Garden – all of which were internationally streamed and broadcast. Last season she made debuts at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma under Juraj Valčuha singing Kostelnička, and at home in Finland, she made her operatic debut at the Savonlinna Festival as Ortrud ("Lohengrin").
Mattila has won numerous awards throughout a distinguished career and received the Order of the Lion of Finland, First Class Commander in 2020. Her other notable awards include Musical America’s Musician of the Year and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Award for her “unforgettable incarnations of both Kostelnička and Emilia Marty”, the latter a role she bid a glorious farewell to at Opéra National de Paris last season in Krzysztof Warlikowski’s production, conducted by Susanna Mälkki.
In addition to two Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording – "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" under Sir George Solti (1998) and "Jenůfa" under Bernard Haitink (2004) – she has many recordings to her credit, highlights of which include Strauss’ "Vier letzte Lieder" under Claudio Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon); and her 40th birthday concert in front of an audience of 12,000 in Helsinki (Ondine).
A native of Finland, Mattila trained at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Liisa Linko-Malmio, and subsequently with Vera Rózsa with whom she studied for almost 20 years. Mattila’s own experience is now highly sought-after and recent invitations to give masterclasses include at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Lauluakatemia, Helsinki and The Birgit Nilsson Museum, and in 2024 at Wigmore Hall, London in collaboration with the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and Keval Shah, and at Savonlinna Music Academy.