Biography

Jorma Silvasti studied singing at the Savonlinna Music College, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and in Frankfurt am Main. He began his career in the chorus of the Finnish National Opera (1980-81) before joining the chorus of the opera in Frankfurt am Main.

In 1982, after winning the Timo Mustakallio Singing Competition in Savonlinna, he was engaged as a soloist by the Krefeld-Mönchengladbach Opera. Three years later he was appointed solo tenor at the Baden State Opera in Karlsruhe.

Since 1988, Jorma Silvasti has been a freelance artist making regular appearances on the opera stages of Europe (Vienna, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Essen etc.) and has made guest appearances with companies such as the Finnish National Opera since 1985, appearing in operas such as Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore, Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Verdi's La Traviata. In 1992, he made his US debut in Los Angeles singing Kimmo in Aulis Sallinen's opera Kullervo. In 1996, he made his debut with the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv.

Since 1983, Jorma Silvasti has been visiting the Savonlinna Opera Festival and has sung the roles of Tamino (The Magic Flute), Jenik (The Bartered Bride) and the Steersman (The Flying Dutchman). He sang the leading role in the premiere of Paavo Heininen's opera The Knife in 1989. During the summer of 1996, he sang the role of Petruccio in the premiere of Aulis Sallinen's The Palace, and in 1997, he was in Savonlinna as "The Artist of the Year", singing the roles of Tamino and Walther (Tannhäuser).

Repertory