Riku Pelo, baritone
Riku
Pelo (b.1974) has studied music at Jyväskylä University and at Stadia
Helsinki Polytechnic (Bachelor Degree, Singing Teacher). He is currently
studying opera singing at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. His teachers
have been Raimo Laukka, Matti Pelo and Hannele Valtasaari. Presently his
teacher is Prof. Petteri Salomaa.
His opera roles include Belcore (Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore), Bob (Menotti:The
Old Maid and Thief), Jupiter (Offenbach: Orfée aux enfers), Kreon (Aalto:
Antigone), (Purcell: Dido & Aeneas), Schlendrian (Bach: Coffee cantata),
Iso-Venne (Saastamoinen: Velho-trilogy), Sharpless (Puccini: Madame
Butterfly at Vaasa Opera) and The Young man (Kuusisto: Pula-ooppera) at
the Nivala Opera.
In 2005 Pelo appeared in the world premiere of the opera 'Messenius
and Lucia' by Olli Kortekangas in Oulu. He also performed the important
role of Andrei Kovrin in P.H. Nordgren's opera 'Den Svarte Munken' (The
Black monk) at the Vaasa Opera. In Spring 2006 he appeared as Nardo in
Mozart's La finta giardiniera. It was a co-production of Sibelius
Academy and Svenska Teatern in Helsinki. In 2006-2007 his engagements
included the role of Freddy in
My Fair Lady at the Tampere Theatre among others.
His appearances as oratorio soloist include Bach’s St. John Passion
(bass solo, Jesus, Pilatus), St. Matthew Passion (Pilatus, Petrus,
Juudas), cantata Ich habe genug, Faure: Requiem, Duruflé : Requiem,
Liszt: Via crucis, Charpentier: Te Deum, Saint-Saens: Oratorio de Noël,
Kostiainen: Eastern cantata Triduum paschale with Jyväskylä City
Orchestra, E. Rautavaara: Vigilia with the Finnish Broadcast Chamber
Choir.
Pelo has also appeared in musical roles at Helsinki City Theatre: in
Guy Legrands' Les Parapluies De Cherbourg and as Prince in Rodgers &
Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Riku Pelo has been member of the Savonlinna
Opera Festival Choir between 1996-2004 and of the Finnish Broadcast
Chamber Choir since 2000. Since October 2005 he has become wellknown as
a member of vocal ensemble
Virtuoso.
AMONG PAST PERFORMANCES 2009-2010:
avemariasongs.org
