Matti Salminen

matti salminen

Matti Salminen, born on July 7, 1945, is known for his powerful and dark voice, imposing figure, and expressive face. He achieved global recognition for his performances at prestigious opera houses, including the Metropolitan and Bayreuth Festival. Salminen excelled in portraying Wagner characters. At Bayreuth he sang Titurel (Parsifal), Landgraf Hermann (Tannhäuser), Daland (Der fliegende Holländer), Veit Pogner (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Heinrich der Vogler (Lohengrin), Hunding (Die Walküre) and Fasolt (Das Rheingold).

Salminen's Bayreuth Festival contributions spanned from 1976 to 1989. In addition to operatic achievements, he participated in sacred music and concert recitals. Salminen received multiple awards, including two Grammy Awards, the ICMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, and the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland. He earned the title Kammersänger thrice (Berlin, Bavaria and Austria), recognizing his excellence in the field.

1976

Das Rheingold (Fasolt)
Die Walküre (Hunding)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1977

Das Rheingold (Fafner)
Die Walküre (Hunding)
Siegfried (Fafner)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1978

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Das Rheingold (Fafner)
Die Walküre (Hunding)
Siegfried (Fafner)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1979

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Das Rheingold (Fasolt)
Die Walküre (Hunding)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1980

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Das Rheingold (Fasolt)
Die Walküre (Hunding)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1981

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Lohengrin (König Heinrich)
Tristan und Isolde (König Marke)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1982

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Tristan und Isolde (König Marke)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1983

Tristan und Isolde (König Marke)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Veit Pogner)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1984

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1985

Der fliegende Holländer (Daland)
Tannhäuser (Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen)
Tristan und Isolde (König Marke)
Parsifal (Titurel)

1986

Tristan und Isolde (König Marke)

1987

Tristan und Isolde (König Marke)
Parsifal (Titurel)

Selected Biographies

Social Media

One of the finest monuments in sound ever to have been raised to the everlasting glory of music. (Claude Debussy on Parsifal)

"The thing about Wagner is that there can be no true success in any production of his operas, only degrees of failure. There is so much in these bloody pieces, all you can do is try to live up to them." (Keith Warner, The Guardian)

"I have never come across an audience with so much hatred, so much anger, such a thirst for revenge. They take everything personally. It makes you a little bit scared, and it's really quite terrifying." (Lance Ryan on the audiences at Bayreuth)

"People sometimes complain that Wagner operas are too long, that they get stiff and sore about 10.30 because they have rushed in to hear one of his works straight from work and are not properly prepared for listening to his music. The audience, as much as the artists, must be prepared for a performance."
(Benjamin Britten to Alan Blyth, Gramophone)

"I was bowled over. It was the year after Wieland Wagner had died; to be able to see his productions was a total knock-out. These bare stagings, where everything was done with lighting. The light changed with the music, and the shadows and patterns seemed as archetypal as the music itself. Nobody had done that on the stage before. I thought it was extraordinary and wonderful."
(Patrick Carnegy to The Guardian)

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