The young Finnish Bass Mika Kares began his professional career at the age of 26 in Baden State Theater (Badisches Staatstheater), Karlsruhe. Before that he studied with Professor Sirkku Wahlroos-Kaitila in Sibelius-Academy, Helsinki. He is at the moment a private student of Professor Roland Hermann in Karlsruhe.

Mr. Kares made his professional debut at the Ilmajoki Music Festival, where he played the Sheriff in Leevi Madetoja's opera Osthrobothians in May 2005. Subsequently, he joined the ensemble of the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe. In his first two seasons there, he has performed such roles as Timur (Turandot), Colline (La Bohème), Angelotti (Tosca), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) Commendatore, Masetto (Don Giovanni) and Bartolo (Le Nozze di Figaro). He also performed his first Der Ring des Nibelungen in the roles of Fafner (Das Rheingold), Hunding (Die Walküre) and Fafner (Siegfried).

In upcoming seasons, Mika Kares will be further expanding his repertoire to include several new roles: Vodník (Rusalka), Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Verdi's Requiem. Mr. Kares will also make his debut in the Savonlinna Opera Festival in the title role of Boito's Mefistofele. He recently received an Artist of the Year prize and will sing his own concert in the same opera festival next July.