Biography
Who is Tarja Turunen?
Early life and education
Tarja Turunen was born on August 17, 1977, in the village of Puhos near Kitee, Finland. Her mother Ritva Sisko Marjatta worked in town administration, and her father Teuvo Turunen worked as a carpenter. She has two brothers named Timo and Toni. Her musical talent was discovered at age three when she sang in a church hall. She later joined the church choir, began taking vocal lessons at an early age, and started playing the piano when she was six years old.
During her school years, Tarja Turunen performed frequently in various musical projects and school functions. At age fifteen, she made a major appearance as a soloist at a church concert before an audience of a thousand listeners. She attended the Senior Secondary School of Art and Music in Savonlinna starting in 1993. Later, she moved to Kuopio to study lyrical singing at the Sibelius Academy and also studied at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in Germany to gain professional qualifications as a classical soloist.
Nightwish and rise to fame
In December 1996, Tarja Turunen joined an acoustic mood music project formed by her former classmate Tuomas Holopainen. Due to her classical vocal training, her voice proved too powerful for acoustic arrangements, prompting the group to incorporate heavy guitar riffs and form the symphonic metal band Nightwish alongside guitarist Emppu Vuorinen. Their debut album, Angels Fall First, was published in 1997 by Spinefarm Records and entered the top 40 of the Finnish charts.
The band released several successful albums over the following years, including Oceanborn in 1998, Wishmaster in 2000, and Century Child in 2002. Tarja Turunen contributed her dramatic operatic vocals while balancing her academic studies in classical music. The band achieved international popularity and toured extensively across Europe and South America. In September 2005, following personal differences and an open letter from the group, Tarja Turunen parted ways with Nightwish after their End of an Era concert.
Solo career and projects
Following her departure from Nightwish, Tarja Turunen launched her solo career with the release of the Christmas album Henkäys ikuisuudesta in 2006. She followed this with her first rock and metal solo album, My Winter Storm, in 2007, which was supported by the Storm World Tour. Over the next decade, she released multiple studio albums spanning classical music, symphonic metal, and holiday music, including What Lies Beneath, Colours in the Dark, The Shadow Self, and In the Raw.
In addition to her studio work, Tarja Turunen recorded several live albums and DVDs, such as Act I and Act II, capturing performances from her extensive world tours. She also released classical studio projects, including Ave Maria, En Plein Air in 2015, and continued her holiday series with albums like From Spirits and Ghosts and Dark Christmas. Her tenth studio album, Frisson Noir, was released in June 2026.
Personal life
During the Wishmaster World Tour, Tarja Turunen met Argentine businessman Marcelo Cabuli, who owned the record label and tour promotion company NEMS Enterprises. The couple married in 2002. Throughout her career, she maintained residences in different countries while continuing her demanding international touring schedule and recording commitments across Europe and the Americas.
Birthday and age
Tarja Turunen was born on August 17, 1977, which makes Tarja 49 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Tarja shares the date with 65 other famous people.
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