Tarja

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Best known as the female vocalist for Finnish gothic/symphonic metal act Nightwish, Tarja (full name Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen) was born on August 17, 1977, in Kitee, Finland. Her prowess as a soprano landed her a place studying classical voice at the Sibelius Academy in Kuopio, where fellow student Tuomas Holopainen took on Tarja as vocalist for his musical project, which was to be christened Nightwish in 1996. Tarja continued to pursue solo interests during her time recording and touring with Nightwish, including a solo in a 1999 rock ballet, a 2002 tour of South America, and a 2004 Christmas single, entitled "Yhden Enkelin Unelma" (One Angel's Dream). In 2005, Tarja was asked (via "open letter") to leave Nightwish, the rest of the band citing financial and personal concerns. A public display of he-said/she-said followed, and Tarja became a solo artist full-time. After her forced departure, Tarja made some live appearances, as well as an appearance on an album of her brother's work before beginning work on an album of her own. October 2007 saw the release of that first solo album, My Winter Storm, which was released on Spinefarm Records. ~ Chris True, Rovi

full bio

Selected Discography

Track List: What Lies Beneath

Undo like

Disc 1

1. Anteroom Of Death

2. Until My Last Breath

3. Dark Star

4. Underneath

5. Little Lies

6. Rivers Of Lust

7. In For A Kill

8. Montanas De Silencio

9. Falling Awake

10. The Archive Of Lost Dreams

11. Crimson Deep

Disc 2

1. We Are

2. Naiad

3. Still Of The Night

Track List: My Winter Storm

Undo like

1. Ite Missa Est

2. I Walk Alone

3. Lost Northern Star

4. Seeking For The Reign

5. The Reign

6. The Escape Of The Doll

7. My Little Phoenix

8. Boy And The Ghost

9. Sing For Me

10. Oasis

11. Poison

12. Our Greath Divide

13. Sunset

14. Damned And Divine

15. Die Alive

16. Minor Heaven

17. Ciaran's Well

18. Calling Grace

19. You Would Have Loved This (Live)

20. Damned And Divine (Live)

What Lies Beneath

2010
My Winter Storm

2007

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Comments

lonewolf36

kangerou28.. y o u are so shallow..Ann e t t e Was a fabulous vocalist, much more versatile than Tarja's tired wanna-be opera singer voice , was Not complimentar y to the fabulous music of Toumas! Annette Ruled!

1 month ago

lonewolf36

Annette has a much more natural voice..A trained voice, dosn't always mean good..her voice is not pleasing to my ear..! If you want sing opera..you better be damn great! Sarah Brightman Rules! Tarja's Falsetto falls..

1 month ago

lonewolf36

I like the music and lyrics far better than her voice

1 month ago

I did like Tarja in Nightwish for a while, but I did personally grow tired of her voice after a while. That being said, Nightwish was definitely at it's peak when she WAS among them. But that's just my opinion anyway. So nobody get bent out of shape over that.

2 months ago

Jake, changing the world one song at a time <~I love you, Micky <3~> (I shall be the light that shines in the dark.)

I miss Tarja being in Nightwish. She completed them.

3 months ago

welch.cliffo r d

the best female singer

4 months ago

loverboy

Tarja voice and style rule.

4 months ago

Graidon Mabson

My favorite singer on Nightwish is Marco...

6 months ago

ktlewis22

I don't know who you are @kagerou228 but that's exactly how I felt about Annette. I saw Nightwish in concert the week before Annette left the band and I can honeslty say that she has nothing compared to Tarja. She is just so stereotypica l l y bland. I'm curious as to who her permanent replacement will be.

7 months ago

Neptune Century

Tarja never ceases to amaze me. She has by far the best voice on Earth. I miss her in Nightwish (Annette is good too though). Solo or not she is great!

7 months ago

meditations2 2 4

She has a gorgeous voice, and whether she is broadcast on here in nightwish tunes, or her solo music, it's very enjoyable. Annette is good, but i believe Tarja has a more natural, more fluid voice, and Nemo is by far my favourite Nightwish tune

8 months ago

Hannah521

THANK you, @karaouq! You expressed my opinions exactly!

8 months ago

patryn1

I didn't really like nightwish with Tarja. I like out better now especially since they can focus on the talents of the whole band now

8 months ago

karaouq

i like both singers so..yeah nightwish is still awesome

9 months ago

calebinvents

of the most popular songs, such as amaranth, were sung by anette. Though I haven't heard it yet, most people I hear say that Imaginaerum is the best album yet, which anette sings. Once again though, they still wouldn't have gotten their without Tarja. Just stop the hate.

11 months ago

calebinvents

ugh, accidentally hit enter. Whats more, you can't really compare Tarja and Anette on equal ground. To quote albert einstein if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will always believe it is stupid Tarja had a great opera voice, which really made nightwish have a special sound. Anette, in my opinion, is far better at the more rock like songs. They are both insanely awesome at their respective strengths. You could also just look at the stats. Tarja made nightwish famous, but some

11 months ago

calebinvents

I loved Tarja for nightwish, and I love Anette for nightwish, Why don't we all just drop the fight about who is/was better and move on with our lives? We can't live in the past. If you hate anette just listen to Tarja's old stuff and solo act. If you like anette, just listen to her. It really isn't that hard people.

11 months ago

jensgotbluee y e s

I THINK TARJA IS STILL AWSOME EVEN ON HER OWN

11 months ago

Carolyn Quigley

Ite, Missa Est has a great sound! I just wish it was a full song--instru m e n t a l , no vocals. (no offense, but some songs just sound better with just instruments)

1 year ago

kagerou228

Ack was cut off....anywa y meant to say Nightwish will never be as good as they have the potential to be because Annette will always hold them back. They need a better singer.

1 year ago

kagerou228

Enhymn, true he wrote the music. And also true while Tarja's voice is beautiful, any classically trained singer could replace her. However, he DIDN'T replace her with a singer of equal caliber. He replaced her with a mediocre singer thereby weakening Nightwish. You can have the greatest music in the world but if the musicians and the vocalist don't deliver on it, it's for nothing. They are the ones that bring it to life. Bringing Annette in was a big mistake on his part. Because of that they wil

1 year ago

enhymn

Any woman with a Mezzo-Supran o voice could replace Tarja. Nightwish is who they are because of Tuomas Holopainen and his creativity, vision and skill- and the ambiance that brings. He brought in Tarja, she brought her voice, and he made her what she is. He made- and makes Nightwish. That said, Annette was a mistake. You heard it here first.

1 year ago

Claudia Agon

lier ryuseiju, u are even usa citizin????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

1 year ago

ryuseiju

Tarja was too much of a Diva and about the money. She didnt want to tour in america anymore because they werent big here. Thats a big slap in the face of her fans here. I personally drove from Florida to Montreal one year to see them. She is amazing with them, and Annette isnt even close, but I still support the band. They made it clear her attitude and the meddling of her husband was causing undue stress to the band.

1 year ago

Claudia Agon

wow. nuff said.

1 year ago

juliajean17

Wow.

1 year ago

kenotaphion

My ears crave her voice

1 year ago

temptationof t h e d e v i l

I agree with ogbmx2000

2 years ago

ogbmx2000

Amy Lee wishes she was as good as Tarja

2 years ago

dark_faerie7

Tarja is amazing. Right up there with Amy Lee in my opinion--the y have different styles, but their vocal talent is stupendous. Nobody else even comes close. Nightwish asked her to leave? Why would they do something like that? I recently discovered them and her, and I know that their material without her is much like the offerings of We Are The Fallen, Evanescence' s old band members sans Amy: it's just sad. Big mistake, you guys. Your music as Nightwish is still ok, but that's it.

2 years ago

Ash

Biggest mistake Nightwish ever made! Asking her to leave was a bonehead move!

2 years ago

hmwww1952

Check out Tarja singing in the Masters of Rock, 2010. Alot of what she sang is on YouTube

2 years ago

hmwww1952

I miss her in Nightwish

2 years ago

rachelthemag e

@ Gabriel Blackshire: Amy Lee's roots are in Opera as well

2 years ago

pagan.c

WOW!!!

2 years ago

cyev.master

That chorus always sends a chill down my spine - Tarja's voice just has that hauntingly beautiful je ne sais quoi to it...

2 years ago

messengermic h a e l 6 7

great song....rela x i n g . . .

2 years ago

Keith M.

What Lies Beneath is a great cd. Just love the song "Naiad". To me it sounds just like a classic James Bond movie song. I can imagine naked girls swimming in water and carrying guns, just like the classic Roger Moore and Sean Connery movies. great cd. Her remake of Whitesnake, however, left me cringing.

2 years ago

miromusic

definite middle east feel to Oasis

2 years ago

Black Swan

I now have the new album, and love it! I wake up to it every day(no, really!)

2 years ago

♫♣♪♠LiȾȾLЁBE п ♠ ♪ ♣ ♫

i wish she was still with Nightwish, with that said, she is still doing okay as a solo artist.

2 years ago

Gabriel Blackshire

Totally agree that Tarja's voice is what made Nightwish interesting however her solo work is better than her work with Nightwish IMO.And comparing her to Evanescence is unacceptable . F i r s t of all yeah Amy Lee is an okay vocalist but nothing like the classical opera sound of Tarja.Amy Lee's initial success with Evanescence was truly rooted in the songwriting and composition creativeness of Ben Moody who left the band and has since went on to form'We Are The Fallen'which echoes early Evanescence.

2 years ago

Lauren

I'll believe that Tarja is a diva, and I can understand why Nightwish would kick her out. And I can understand why they would want a singer who doesn't sound anything like Tarja.

That said, Tarja is the main reason I liked Nightwish, and though I've only heard a little of her solo work, I like it. I'm going to follow her instead of Nightwish because I just don't care for Annette's voice.

(And I think a comparison to Evanescence is fair, because Amy Lee and Tarja both have very powerful voices)

3 years ago

Black Swan

Can't wait to get the new album,too.

3 years ago

Black Swan

At least she has a solo career, now.

3 years ago

Robert

The diamond who took Nightwish to fame, Tarja is missed by her old school followers )0(

3 years ago

Carissa Humphries

Tarja is to Nightwish what Amy Lee is to Evanescence. Without her, they would never have made it.

3 years ago

Jeremiah Mountain

tarja is the only reason anyone knoes who nightwish is.

3 years ago

curiouslyhig h

@Rob Christensen - Yes, because singing like an overstuffed harpy is totally irreplaceabl e . She did nothing for the band but sing. Tuomas wrote the words, wrote the tune, wrote all the parts of the songs. You take one listen to Tarja and you can see that she has no talent beyond oversinging songs that weren't meant to be sung in an operatic style.

3 years ago

drvanderpal

Great music

3 years ago