Rene Ertomaa

voice (tenor/counter tenor), bass (FIN)

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Bio

Rene Ertomaa has accomplished his Post Graduate Diploma studies in composition at the
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff under Peter Reynolds’ tuition. Previously Ertomaa studied at London College of Music and Media with Martin Glover as well at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius with Rytis Mazulis. In these institutions he also studied classical singing with Geoffrey Mitchell and Algirdas Janutas. Additionally, Ertomaa has studied music & bass at Oulunkylä Pop/Jazz Conservatory and music & singing at Käpylä Music Institute in Helsinki. Ertomaa has studied classical singing also privately with Teppo Lampela, Erkki Alste, Sinikka Alstela, Mika Nikander (Helsinki) and Eva Lydecken (Paris.) Ertomaa's repertoire includes opera, lied, chamber, orchestral and theatre music as well as big band music. His compositions have been acclaimed at international chamber music festivals in Finland, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Lithuania.
He has participated in several composing and singing master classes/festivals including Corso di Canto Lirico 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2017 with the former first soprano of Milano La Scala Wilma Vernocchi (Italy); Sävellyspaja 2009 and 2012 with Jouni Kaipainen and Jukka Tiensuu, in connection with Avanti! Chamber Orchestra’s summer festival (Finland); Highscore Festival 2010 and 2011 with Yale’s composition professor Christopher Theofanidis (Italy); Time of Music 2010 (Finland); Val Tidone Summer Camp with Milano G.Verdi Conservatory’s composition professor Mario Garuti (Italy) and Opera Mint Summer Course 2009 with tenor Anthony Roden (UK.) Ertomaa’s music has also been performed in concerts organized by the modern music society Korvat auki.
Rene’s theatre compositions/performances are:
- The radio theatre work The Next Cloud for Yle’s (The Finnish Broadcasting Company) radio theatre, of which was broadcasted throughout the country 2017. (Music)
- Monologue play The Year of Magical Thinking. Premiered at Theatre Jurkka in Helsinki 2015. (Music)
- The dance and music theatre work Symposion with Thomas Freundlich Company and rock band Waltari. Premiered at Savoy theatre in Helsinki 2015. (Music and aria Tuonen lehto)
- Human Interface for two dancers and industrial robots at Kaapelitehdas in Helsinki with Thomas Freundlich Company and dance theatre Zodiak 2013. (Music)
- The play Angels in America in Helsinki 2010. The six-hour work was nominated as one of the most important theatre events of the year by Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily newspaper. It also won the Theatre Act of the Year prize. (Rene composed the music and replaced one of the main actors in the role of Roy Cohn in the presence of the President of Finland.)
- The play Dangerous Liaisons, premiered on the main stage of the Finnish National Theatre 2008. (Aria Jupiter joint plus Venus que la lune and the role of Belleroche)
- The play Heart of Darkness, premiered at the Helsinki Festival as a part of the International Stage Festival and then at Espoo Theatre 2007. (Music and the aria of Torch Bearer)
- The music theatre work Song From the Island of Beautiful Children premiered at the Theatre Academy, Helsinki 2005. The work was nominated Critic’s Choice in the Nyt supplement of HS magazine. (Music)
- The music theatre piece A Queen and an Executioner, premiered at the Theatre Academy and then performed at the Tampere Theatre Festival in 2002. (Music and the role of Lord Robert)
- the baroque opera Dido & Aeneas (Purcell) with the student opera group Helsinki Opera Ensemble at the Cellar Theatre in 2001. (The role of the Sorcerer)
Rene has also composed two song (lied) cycles:
- Nostradamus based on prophecies of Nostradamus (2013)
- Shadow and Light (Varjo & valo) based on A.W.Yrjänä’s poems (2018)
Both cycles were premiered by tenor Petri Bäckström and pianist Kristian Attila
Rene has long worked as composer/singer/lyricist with his Maestria ensemble, which creates music on its own unique style. The line-up consists of electric instruments, strings, singers, wind instruments, harp and percussions/drums. Maestria has performed on the main venues of Helsinki and at the Finnish Cultural Institute in Paris, being the first Finnish artists participating the Fête de la Musique festival.
Rene has played bass in ethno-jazz group Piirpauke, ethnic-progressive group Tainatar/Antti Polameri group as well as electric music bands Variance and Infectio.
Rene has worked as a producer in numerous music events. These include the Music for Martial Arts and Dance at Verkatehdas in Hämeenlinna, Finland. Total Cross Over Club at Tavastia club in Helsinki and a charity concert Chance for Peace for Middle Eastern peace at Savoy Theatre in Helsinki. Rene has worked as a radio journalist for Classic Radio and Viva Classica. He has also worked as a music teacher from music play schools to upper secondary schools as well as given private lessons and taught music theory and ear training to adult students at All Voice vocal school. On autumn 2016 Ertomaa was granted membership to Music Finland and Artist Co-operative
Lilith and on spring 2017 to the Society of Finnish Composers.
Grants and Residences:
- The Circolo Scandinavo Residence in Rome, Italy March 2019
- The Majaoja Foundation grant for composing 2018
- The Music Advancing Center for composing 2017
- The Art Advancing Center grant for the Cité des arts residence in Paris, France 2016 - The Finnish Cultural Fund grant and residence at Wiepersdorf Castle, Germany 2015.
Recordings: Nostradamus song cycle (Finnish Broadcast Company/YLE 2015 and published by Finlandia Classics 2017), Maestria EP (Maestriamusic 2002), The Prelude EP (ZGR 1998)

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