Croatian National Theatre In Rijeka, Opera Orchestra and Chor & Ville Matvejeff
Biography Croatian National Theatre In Rijeka, Opera Orchestra and Chor & Ville Matvejeff
Ville Matvejeff
Born 1986 in Finland, Ville Einar Matvejeff has established himself as an exceptionally wide-ranging musician enjoying success as conductor, composer and pianist. He trained at the Sibelius Academy (M.Mus.) and Espoo Music Institute and has performed throughout Europe as well as the USA, China, Japan and Mexico.
Matvejeff's conducting career is progressing rapidly. In January 2014 he assumed the position of Chief Conductor of Jyväskylä Sinfonia, renewed two times until the 2022. Since September 2014 he has worked as the Principal Guest Conductor and Music Advisor of Croatian National Theatre HNK Zajc in Rijeka, and recent and upcoming seasons include Matvejeff re-invited to the Duisburg and Tampere Philharmonic Orchestras and the Tapiola Sinfonietta, as well as making his debuts with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, conducting repertoire from Sibelius and Ravel, to Hindemith, Aho and Rautavaara. Matvejeff has developed a broad repertoire extending from the classical through to the 20th century and contemporary; in 2016 he led the Tampere Philharmonic for the Tampere Biennale 30th anniversary in an all-Finnish programme featuring two world premieres. He has developed a broad repertoire extending from the classical through to the 20th century and contemporary; a bass-baritone with solo performances on both concert and opera stages to his credit, he is equally conversant with a wide choral and oratorio repertoire.
Recently appointed the designate artistic director of Savonlinna Opera Festival from 1.9.2019 on, Matvejeff was priorly serving as the Artistic Director of Turku Music Festival from 2016 until 2018, the oldest continuously run classical music festival in Finland. Matvejeff conducts a diversity of opera repertoire ranging from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Aribert Reimann’s Lear to contemporary productions such as Kimmo Hakola’s Akseli with Jorma Hynninen in the title role, and Mikko Heiniö’s Eerik XIV. Last season started with concert performances of Parsifal with a cast featuring Klaus Florian Vogt and Karita Mattila at the Turku Music Festival and a run of Hansel and Gretel at Malmö Opera, whilst at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc he conducts productions including Elektra, La Bohème, Aida, Falstaff, and Otello. Recent opera highlights include the world premiere of Aulis Sallinen’s Castle in the Water at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and performances in Rijeka of Werther and Faust, which was also recorded for Naxos. Matvejeff has previously held positions at the Malmö Opera and the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, as well as working as assistant with conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen and Leif Segerstam.
A musical polymath, Matvejeff trained at the Sibelius Academy and Espoo Music Institute and is also a pianist and composer. He made his concert debut as pianist at the age of 18 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under conductor Susanna Mälkki and has since toured the world in a recital partnership with soprano Karita Mattila. Last season saw the duo on a European tour with performances at the Vienna State Opera, London’s Wigmore Hall and the Zürich Opera House amongst others. As a composer, he has received commissions from the Finnish Chamber Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, for whom he wrote his Violin Concerto to celebrate the inauguration of the Helsinki Music Centre in September 2011. His passion for the human voice has led him to write a substantial amount of choral music, while recordings of his orchestral works Ad Astra and Cello Concerto Crossroads have been released on the Alba label.
