Baritone Jussi Merikanto began his singing career in the  Cantores Minores boys choir, before studying voice at Kuopio conservatory. He then moved to the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where he graduated with a Masters in Music from the opera department.

Merikanto debuted at the Finnish National opera in 2009 as Papageno in Mozart’s Magic Flute, and from 2013-2016 he was part of the company’s full time ensemble.  His roles in the house included Figaro in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Samuel in Verdi’s A Masked Ball, Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Schaunard in Puccini’s La Boheme, Karjanmaan Köysti in Madetoja’s Pohjalaisia, Morales in Bizet’s Carmen, Achilla in Händel’s Julius Caesar and Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Interestingly, he had already had his debut at the Savonlinna opera festival in 1992 as one of the three boys in Mozart’s The Magic Flute!

Merikanto has performed at Ilmajoki music festival in productions of  Lakeuksien lukko and Taipaleenjoki. Last summer, he sang the title role at the same festival in an opera about the life of Oskar Merikanto. He has also performed at the Naantali music festival, at the Les Heures Romantiques festival in France, at the Kuopio and Turku operas, in Italy at the Rossini festival and at  Musashino in Japan.

Jussi Merikanto is also in demand as a concert soloist. He has performed, for example, as bass soloist in Bach’s Johannes Passio under the direction of Peter Schreier, and has given numerous lied recitals in Finland and abroad. In 2009 Merikanto took part in the Taidekeskus Salmelan Merikanto singing competition where he received second prize. In 2006 at the Timo Mustakallio singing competition, he was awarded the Eero Rantala bursary. Since 2011, Merikanto works as the artistic director of the Nurmes Christmas Music Festival.