Marie Finne

Soprano · Founder of La Kala Opera · Soloist, Helsinki Workers' Orchestra

Marie Finne, soprano and founder of La Kala Opera

Founder & Soprano

Marie graduated from Monash University with a double degree in Spanish and French, and from the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance (Music Department), where she studied voice, ensemble performance with Viva Voce, music history, composition, and theory. Her principal teachers were conductor Dr Andre de Guadros and Dr Craig de Wilde.

Marie sang as a soloist with The Melbourne Company in Mozart's The Magic Flute as the Third Boy — a role which, alongside solo and ensemble singing, involved cartwheels, splits, and dancing. The conductors were Maestros Armando Krieger, Greg Hocking, and Warwick Stengards, and the production was directed by Caroline Stacey.

Marie also sang in the MOC chorus for Verdi's La Traviata, Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, and Strauss's Die Fledermaus, and appeared in Verdi's Rigoletto in the role of Monterone's daughter.

In 2011, Marie sang in the professional chorus of Victorian Opera, the state opera of Victoria, performing Il trovatore and La Traviata in the Verdi Gala.

Performances & Achievements

Opera, television, and screen

Melbourne Opera (Australia)

The Magic Flute (Mozart) – Role: Three Genies / Drei Knaben / Third Boy (Athenaeum Theatre, 2003)

The Pearl Fishers (Bizet) – Melbourne Opera Chorus (Athenaeum Theatre, 2003)

La Traviata (Verdi) – Melbourne Opera (Athenaeum Theatre, 2003)

Die Fledermaus (J. Strauss) – Melbourne Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre, 2005)

Rigoletto (Verdi) – Role: Monterone’s Daughter (pivotal acting / stage role), Melbourne Opera, 2004

Director: Greg Carrol

La maledizione arises specifically from how the Duke and the court have treated Monterone’s daughter, and from how the father steps before the court to demand his honour back. Being at the centre of that scene requires enormous physical commitment, stage charisma, and intense presence, without the protection of continuous sung text. It is pure, raw acting on stage, with the orchestra and male chorus roaring around you.

Television in Finland

Yle Egenland, Season 1; Yle Let’s lauantai (sang Christine from The Phantom of the Opera live); several Yle TV news items, including coverage of productions of Sweeney Todd and Jesus Christ Superstar, John Morgan’s singing masterclass in Sumiainen, and a West Side Story solo in that masterclass.

Film and photographic modelling

Jill’s Casting Agency: Childstar; Hansaplast advertisement; Dodo telecommunications TV commercial; Triple M radio station TV commercial; The Hard Word (film); Neighbours (TV series); After the Deluge (film)

Ripley’s Casting Agency: Ghost Rider (film); Stingers (TV series); Australian of the Year (TV series)