Ruut Eleonoora Karhula | Mezzosoprano

Ruut Eleonoora Karhula is a Finnish lyric-dramatic mezzo-soprano known for her beautiful deep, powerful and versatile voice. She graduated in 2024 as a Master of Music in Opera Performance from the University of the Arts, Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), with the highest possible honors.

In season 2023 Ms. Karhula performed the main role role as Poppea in L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi. Her other roles includes the following: Ariadne (Scheibe: Ariadne auf Naxos), Dido (Purcell: Dido and Aeneas), Suor Genovieffa, La suora infermiera and Una conversa (Puccini: Suor Angelica), Dritte Dame (Mozart: Die Zauberflöte), Damigella (Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea), Serafina (Donizetti: Il Campanello), Aino-Kaino (Pulkkis: Raatteen tie) and Leo (Kuusisto: Prinsessa ja villijoutsenet).

As a concert soloist she has performed the alto soloist parts in Weihnachtsoratorium by J. S. Bach together with the Finnish Baroque Orchestra FiBo and the Messiah Oratorium by G. F. Händel under the baton of Seppo Murto. A long waited Finnish premiere was being held in Autumn 2024 when Ms. Karhula premiered Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos by J. A. Scheibe.

In addition to opera Ms. Karhula is an active Lied singer and pianist. She has especially delved into the Nordic lied repertoire, contemporary music and crossover classical. In 2024 Ms. Karhula was one of the semifinalists in Kangasniemi Singing Competition. She has also been selected as one of the competitors in Lappeenranta Singing Competition 2025 and takes part in the international Sibelius Singing duo competition in April 2025.

Ms. Karhula’s artistic work has been supported by the Selim Eskelin Foundation, the Sibelius Academy Foundation, Kauhajoki Cultural Foundation and Oopperakummit ry.