A native of Nivala in Finland, Esa Ruuttunen began his musical education at an early age playing piano, cello and singing and as member of several choirs and ensembles. A graduate in theology, he finished his vocal studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki while serving as a minister until 1984.
As early as in the mid-70s he had launched his concert career with church recitals and in oratorios. From 1984 to 1987 he was lecturer in church singing at the Sibelius Academy and a part-time vocal teacher until 1990. Subsequent to his house debut in 1985 he has been a permanent ensemble member of the Finnish National Opera since 1987.

Embarking on his international career in the 80s, Esa Ruuttunen gave recitals and concerts in Stockholm, Moscow, Valencia, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Minneapolis, Toronto and Korea. His repertoire ranges from sacred music, including all the main oratorios and passions, through large-scale orchestral works up to contemporary compositions. The central point of his solo repertoire are the song cycles of  Schubert and Brahms as well as Finnish and Scandinavian songs. Of many of these and other works he has made numerous radio, television and CD recordings.
Not only an important interpreter of Wagner, Mr Ruuttunen is also a passionate performer of composers such as Kortekangas, Norontaus, Pethmann and Tikka, all of whom have written leading roles for him. He has interpreted such roles as Luther, King Fisher in Tippet’s Midsummer Marriage, Grigoris in Martinu’s Greek Passion, and many others.  Aulis Salinnen’s Kullervo is available on record from Ondine.

Whether in Stuttgart, Munich, Lissabon, Bukarest, Covent Garden or the Bregenz Opera Festival, Esa Ruuttunen is a welcome guest in many international opera houses.  With the Finnish National Opera he has travelled to Berlin, Essen, Stockholm, Talinn and Los Angeles. A favourite with the Savonlinna Opera Festival since 1983, he appears almost every year and was elected Artist of the Year in 2000. Lately he has been in frequent demand for his interpretation of Oenescu’s Oedipe, for instance in Barcelona, at the Staatsoper in Vienna and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he has performed regularly since 1996.