Salminen, Matti (1945- )

Finnish bass. He studied in Helsinki where he made his debut in 1969, as Philip II. He sang Glinka's Ivan Susanin at the 1973 Wexford Festival, and Fasolt at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in 1974. From 1972 he performed principal roles at Cologne, Zurich, and Berlin, and from 1975 he sang Sallinen's Horseman, Sarastro, and Daland at the Savonlinna Festival. From 1976 he appeared at the Bayreuth Festival as Hunding, King Mark, and others; he sang in New York at the Metropolitan Opera House from 1981, as Rocco, Osmin, Hunding, and Hagen. He was widely admired as Boris, and has also sung Prince Khovansky (San Francisco, 1984).