Internationally revered for her lyric vocal beauty and commanding theatrical presence, Karita Mattila continues to captivate audiences worldwide in a career spanning more than four decades. The Finnish soprano has garnered critical acclaim for her dramatic portrayals and celebrated interpretations of 20th-century and contemporary repertoire.
The 2025/26 season begins with a return to her native Finland for the closing concert at the Sibelius Festival in Lahti, a recital in Iitti, and masterclasses at the Finnish National Opera followed by returns to NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Dresdner Philharmonie for concert performances of "Elektra" (Klytämnestra).
Highlights from the 2024/25 season include returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the National Theatre Prague for "Jenůfa" (Kostelnička); Opéra national de Paris and ABAO Bilbao Opera for "Suor Angelica" (La zia Principessa); and the Gran Teatre del Liceu for "Rusalka" (Foreign Princess).
Operatic highlights of Karita Mattila’s recent seasons include "Salome" (Herodias) at Opéra National de Paris, Canadian Opera Company, and Houston Grand Opera, "Elektra" (Klytämnestra) at Deutsche Oper Berlin and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, "Suor Angelica" (La zia Principessa) at the Salzburg Festival, "La voix humaine" (Elle) at Finnish National Opera, "Lohengrin" (Ortrud) at the Savonlinna Festival, and "The Makropulos Case" (Emilia Marty) at Opéra national de Paris.
A two-time GRAMMY Award winner for "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" (Eva) under Sir Georg Solti and "Jenůfa" (Jenůfa) under Bernard Haitink, Karita Mattila’s extensive discography includes Strauss' "Vier letzte Lieder" under Claudio Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon) and her 40th birthday concert from Helsinki (Ondine).
Her distinguished career has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Order of the Lion of Finland (First Class Commander), Musical America’s Musician of the Year, the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for her performances in "Jenůfa" (Kostelnička) and "The Makropulos Case" (Emilia Marty).
Karita Mattila studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Liisa Linko-Malmio and later with Vera Rózsa. A sought-after mentor, she has recently led masterclasses at the Peabody Institute, Lauluakatemia Helsinki, the Birgit Nilsson Museum, Wigmore Hall (in partnership with the Sibelius Academy and Keval Shah), and Savonlinna Music Academy.