Mezzo-soprano Kaisa Näreranta is a versatile music industry professional in and a protean artist with classical background. Näreranta started her musical studies as a violinist, but when she proceeded towards professional studies, classical singing became her major. Näreranta graduated as a musician from the Music and Drama Institute of Lahti University of Applied Sciences in spring 2016, majoring in classical singing. She has studied singing under Satu Vihavainen and Taina Piira. She has also participated in master classes of Irina Gavrilovic, Ritva Auvinen, Franz Lukasovsky and Maria Kowollik. She has supplemented her lied studies at master classes under e.g. Heikki Pellinen and Ilmo Ranta.
Näreranta has sung as soloist in several concert productions of both choirs and orchestras. She has also sung in the Savonlinna Opera Festival Choir for several years. Having a wide range in her voice, Näreranta has sung both soprano and mezzo-soprano repertoire. As the voice matured, the repertoire has established in the mezzo-soprano repertoire.
Early opera and operetta roles include Rosalinde in J. Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus and Barbara in Eine Nacht in Venedig, as well as the title role of Suor Angelica in G. Puccini’s opera Suor Angelica. In the fall of 2015, Näreranta sang the role of Aino Sibelius in a new musical drama Soivaksi kirjoitettu. The performances were at Lahti Sibelius Hall and at Helsinki Finlandia Hall. In the summer of 2017, Näreranta sang the role of Donna Elvira in the Don Giovanni (W.A.Mozart) production of the German Weimar Opera Studio. In 2018 Näreranta, she performed in the role of the Queen in M. Autio’s children’s opera Princess Adalmina on a tour around Finland. In 2018 she sang the role of Adalgisa in V. Bellini’s opera Norma in Espoo Cello Hall, as well as in visiting performances of the production in Narva Opera Days 2019 in Estonia. In January 2019, she sang the role of Bertha in the Helsinki Opera Associations opera production of Die Loreley (F. Pacius) at the Alexander Theatre. In August 2019, she performed the role of Wellgunde in the Children’s RING opera at the Helsinki Music Centre. In January 2020, she sang the title role of J. Offenbach’s La Belle Helene operetta in Espoo Sello Hall, and in October the role of Helena in the world premiere of Kari Tika’s last remaining opera, Love is strong as death.
Näreranta’s repertoire includes stage and opera music as well as lied and oratorio. She has performed as soprano soloist in Bach’s Johannes Passion, Mozart’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah, as well as alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. In addition, he has presented contemporary music e.g. compositions by Miikka Kallio and Miika Hyytiäinen. In Hyytiäinen’s opera Aikainen, Näreranta sang the role of the 2nd Norn. The production was performed in 2014 in Berlin, Helsinki and London. In August 2023, Näreranta premiered new composition Just before Nightfall by Olli Kortekangas with the vocal group TriAngel.
Kaisa Näreranta is a Richard Wagner Culture Association’s Bayreuth scholarship holder 2016. Her artistic work has been supported by e.g. City of Vantaa and TAIKE.
PART OF TEATRO’S PRODUCTIONS:
- VÄHÄN ENNEN YÖTÄ – Lauluyhtye TriAngel
- VIIMEISET KIUSAUKSET (2. woman)
- RAKKAUS ON VÄKEVÄ KUIN KUOLEMA (Helena)
- KAUNIS HELENA (Helena)
- LASTEN RING (Wellgunde)
- NORMA (Adalgisa)
- PRINSESSA ADALMINA (the Queen)
- KAIPUUN SYLEILYSTÄ AUTUUDEN VALOON (soloist)
- SOIVAKSI KIRJOITETTU (Aino Sibelius)
- SISAR A – SUOR ANGELICA (Suor Angelica)
