TARJA TURUNEN SIGNING DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC

TARJA TURUNEN, the exceptionally gifted singer, has signed to Universal Music on an exclusive worldwide basis. Tarja rose to prominence as the voice and the face of Finnish outfit Nightwish, with her unique tones and striking stage presence having played a key role in the international success of that band. Tarja is now ideally placed to take her solo career to a whole new level, both in terms of musical ambition and personal profile; to this end, the 29-year-old – originally from the Finnish town of Kitee – is currently working on her first recordings as a solo artist, with a studio deep in the Irish countryside the initial home for these sessions – a studio that has already played host to the likes of R.E.M., Michael Jackson and the Manic Street Preachers.

Tarja’s debut single, ‘I Walk Alone’, is being lined up for a mid of October release, with the full album, ‘My Winter Storm’, due to follow on November 9th. Both the single and the album are being produced by Daniel Presley (Faith No More, Jewel, The Breeders), who has been joined in the studio by a truly stellar line-up of musicians: Doug Wimbish on bass (Living Colour, Annie Lennox, Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Madonna, Rolling Stones), Alex Scholpp on electric guitars (Farmer Boys) and Earl Harvin on drums (Seal, Pet Shop Boys, Air), a player personally selected by Tarja after she saw him stealing the show at a Seal concert. Keyboards & programming, meanwhile, are being provided by Torsten Stenzel, whose previous credits include Nelly Furtado, Moby, Tina Turner, Vanessa Mae and more.

Throughout her career, Tarja has managed to achieve that most difficult of tasks – seamlessly joining worlds that, at first glance, would appear to be poles apart; in this case, Metal & Opera. Could these two ever really stand shoulder to shoulder without one diluting the other? Well… not only did the soprano singer drive herself to achieve the perfect balance, with hits such as ‘Nemo’ storming the international charts, but in doing so she helped to create a style that is currently exerting a huge influence on the Rock & Metal scene.

Released in 2004, the highly-acclaimed ‘Once’ was Tarja’s last studio outing – an album that rose to the top of the charts around the world, from Mexico through to the European Billboard lists; the record picked up platinum awards in Germany & Finland, and turned gold right across Scandinavia, as well as in Brazil, Austria, Switzerland, Greece & Hungary.

I terms of vocal training, Tarja started this (ongoing) journey at the age of six, and in due course she was accepted at the world famous Music University, the Sibelius Academy in Kuopio. It was here that she developed what has genuinely become a signature style, achieving an emotional connection with the listener that transcends language, location or musical type. Whether as a soloist with the Finnish National Opera, performing a concert in a church, or holding the gaze of 20,000 rock fans in arenas around the world, Tarja Turunen is a singing phenomenon. As simple as that.

And now, of course, she’s pursuing a solo career, taking a musical path that (in terms of direction, variety & scope) should keep her existing fanbase happy, whilst at the same time reaching out to a wider audience. Anyone who likes their music dark of spirit, dramatic in intent and shot through with giant slabs of melody will find plenty to interest them here, and as always, Tarja is pulling out all of the stops…

“Some of these new songs are already sending shivers down my spine; they’re awakening me to a new way of living, a way that I’ve never experienced before..”.

Tarja Turunen has always had the voice of an angel; now she’s about to (fully) spread her wings.