Biography
Who is Saara Aalto?
Early life and education
Saara Sofia Aalto was born on May 2, 1987, in Oulunsalo, Finland. She grew up in a musical environment and began her formal training early in life. As a child, she received piano instruction from Olga Maslak, a pianist who originated from the Soviet Union. Saara showed her musical abilities at a young age, writing her first original composition when she was five years old.
Her family background includes other creative professionals, such as her grandfather, Eeli Aalto, who worked as a painter and director of documentaries. Her uncle is the magician Simo Aalto. During her formative years, she participated in several competitions, including the Kotka Maritime Festival song contest in 1998, which she won at age 11. She continued her education at the Madetoja Upper Secondary School for music, graduating in 2005. Following this, she relocated to Helsinki to pursue higher studies at the Sibelius Academy while concurrently training at the Helsinki Pop and Jazz Conservatory.
Career beginnings and musical theatre
Saara Aalto officially began her professional career in the late 2000s. In 2007, she reached the top three of Talent Suomi. Beyond her solo singing work, she established a presence in the Finnish theatre scene. She appeared in several productions at the Helsinki City Theatre between 2008 and 2011. Her roles included Kelsi in the stage version of High School Musical and its sequel, as well as parts in the musical Wicked. She also portrayed Mary Magdalene in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
In 2011, she founded her own record label called Yume Records alongside Teemu Roivainen. That same year, she entered the qualifying rounds for the Eurovision Song Contest in Finland, where she placed second. She returned to the competition in 2016 through Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, where she again secured second place despite winning the public vote.
International recognition and television work
Saara achieved significant visibility in China between 2010 and 2013. She performed at the Rhapsody in Rock show in Shanghai and opened for tenor José Carreras in 2013. Also, she performed at the closing ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival. This experience led to the release of her album titled Ai De Zhu Fu, which featured several tracks recorded in Mandarin.
In 2012, she participated in the first season of The Voice of Finland. Mentored by Michael Monroe, she progressed through the competition to the final, where she finished in second place. Her major international breakthrough occurred in 2016 when she competed in the thirteenth series of The X Factor UK. After being eliminated and then brought back as a wildcard, she advanced to the final and finished as the runner-up. In 2018, she represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest, qualifying for the grand final and placing 25th. She served as a judge on X Factor Suomi that same year and later finished third on the television program Dancing on Ice in 2019.
Birthday and age
Saara Aalto was born on May 2, 1987, which makes Saara 39 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Saara shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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