Biography

Before beginning his singing studies at the Sibelius Academy, Finnish bass, Markus Suihkonen studied the cello for 15 years. At the Sibelius Academy he has studied under professors such as Petteri Salomaa and Jaakko Ryhänen, as well as with Mika Kares, and attended master classes conducted by Martin Katz, Dorothy Irving, Helen Donath, and Soile Isokoski.

In 2014, he made his stage debut as Colline/La bohème at the University of the Arts in Helsinki. In 2015, he won the first prize at the national “Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition” for young singers and was awarded a scholarship from the Martti Talvela Foundation.

Following his debut at the Finnish National Opera in Shostakovich’s The Nose, he performed the title role Le nozze di Figaro, as well as Il Commendatore/Don Giovanni at the Alexander Theater. He sung recitals at the Mariinsky Theatre and at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and has furthermore performed with numerous Finnish chamber orchestras as a concert and oratorio soloist.

In 2017/18, Markus Suihkonen was a member of the Young Ensemble of the Vlaamse Opera, where he sang the Bass of Mozart’s Requiem and took on roles such as Daniel in Donizetti’s Le duc d'Albe, Pistola/Falstaff (Staging: Christoph Waltz), Doorman in Korngold’s Das Wunder der Heliane, Second Grailknight and Titurel/Parsifal, Publio/La Clemenza di Tito and Baron in Prokofjev’s The Gambler. In addition, he guested at the Savonlinna Opera Festival with Sallinen‘s Kullervo and sang concerts with various Finnish orchestras.

From 2018 until 2020 he was a member of the opera studio of Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, where he performed roles such as King René/Jolanta, Herold/Otello under the baton of Kirill Petrenko, and Lesbo in Barrie Kosky’s production of Agrippina under Ivor Bolton, as well as various concerts.

Furthermore, he embodied Sarastro/The Magic Flute at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Publio/La Clemenza di Tito at Royal Opéra de Wallonie in Liège, Caronte/L’Orfeo at Semperoper Dresden, Leporello/Don Giovanni at the Finnish National Opera Helsinki under the baton of Patrick Fournillier and sang Berlioz’ La Damnation de Faust as well as Schumann’s Faust-Szenen/Mefisto, Evil Spirit, Pater Profundus with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Hannu Lintu in Helsinki, Titurel/Parsifal and Fafner/Rheingold in Eurajoki (Finland), Titurel/Parsifal in concert with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Adam Fischer, Verdi’s Requiem in Dublin, Beethoven’s Symphony no 9 with the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, as well as Mozart’s Requiem with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Klaus Mäkelä in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Since the 2020/21 season Markus Suihkonen is part of the ensemble of Staatstheater Hannover, where he already performed roles such as Ramfis/Aida, Sarastro/Magic Flute, Lodovico/Otello, Sparafucile/Rigoletto, Colline/La bohème, Antonio/Le nozze di Figaro, Caronte in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Lorenzo in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi

His engagements at his parent house in Hannover in the 2024/25 season include revivals of A Midsummer Night’s Dream/Snug, La bohème/Colline, I Capuleti e i Montecchi/Lorenzo, Salome/5th Jew, Tosca/Angelotti and Rigoletto/Sparafucile, as well as the new production of the Philip Glass opera 'Satyagraha', in which he will be on stage as Parsi Rustomji/Krishna.
In summer 2025 Markus Suihkonen makes his debut at the Bayreuth Festival unt´der Christian Thielemann in Lohengrin, where he can be heard as 4th Brabant Noble. In addition, he will sing the role of Landgraf Hermann in the children's opera Tannhäuser.

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R. Schumann: "Scenes from Goethe's Faust" in Helsinki (2020):
www.areena.yle.fi/... 

European Heritage Awards 2017 Musical Programme
Europa Nostra
Markus Suihkonen sings Rachmaninovs "Vyes Tabor Spit" (11'40 - 18'05)

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