Ave Maria - en Plein Air

Finnish singer Tarja Turunen is one of the most well-known heavy metal soprano singers and one of the most important female voices and faces in metal music. No other voice and artist influenced and basically created the female fronted symphonic metal genre as much as Tarja. A pioneer in goth and symphonic metal, the classically trained Finn rose to fame with the band Nightwish, whose face and voice she had been for 9 years. In 2004, she started her successful solo career, carrying her own name and releasing three studio albums so far.Classical music was Tarja Turunen's first love though. The classically trained soprano studied Church Music at Sibelius Academy in Finland as well as German Lied at the Music University of Karlsruhe, Germany. She has always crossed genres and musical cultures, showing a wide versatility with projects such as “Tarja Turunen & HARUS” and “Beauty & The Beat”; HARUS being a mix of traditional and modern pieces whereas “Beauty & The Beat” created an interface betweenclassical and rock music, arranged with orchestra and choir.Adored by many fans as their “Goddess”, Tarja has the skill to carry her fans away just by her presence - probably more than any other female artist in this genre. She is one of the few artists who can perform at the biggest rock and metal festivals one night, in a cathedral the next.“Ave Maria – En Plein Air” is Tarja Turunen's classical solo debut album. It features 12 beautiful “Ave Maria” songs by a wide variety of composers. Tarja Turunen breathes life into some of the most loved and rare songs of Paolo Tosti, David Popper, Astor Piazzolla, and of course Johann Sebastian Bach/Charles Gounod, among others. The closing track of the album presents a magnificent composition by TarjaTurunen herself.Ave Maria is a traditional prayer dedicated to the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, asking for her intercession.