Soprano MARI PALO began her career winning 3rd prize in the Lappeenranta Singing Competition (1999) and 2nd prize in the Merikanto Competition (2001). She has regularly appeared at the Finnish National Opera for instance as Pamina in The Magic Flute, Micaëla in Carmen and Musetta in La bohème. She has also created several roles in world premiere productions of Finnish operas, such as Vera in Isän tyttö [Daddy’s Girl] by Olli Kortekangas, Marian in Robin Hood by Jukka Linkola and Mona Kummel in Jää [Ice] by Jaakko Kuusisto. She performed the title role in the Baroque opea Alvilda in Abo in Turku in the city’s European Capital of Culture year, 2011.

In addition to opera performances, Mari Palo has appeared in concert and given Lied recitals at home and abroad in Denmark, France, Belgium, the UK, Hungary and Japan. Her discography includes a disc of popular songs titled Illan varjoon himmeään [In the shadow of the evening] (Finlandia Records 2003), Mari Palo (Finlandia Records 2005), Barabbas Dialogues by Sallinen, the opera The King Goes Forth to France by Sallinen (Ondine 2006) and a Christmas album, Joulun hohde [The glow of Christmas] (Ondine 2006).