Saara Aalto is a Finnish singer, songwriter, and voice actress who rose to fame for gaining the 2nd position on The Voice of Finland in 2012. She participated as a contestant in the Finnish national selection to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest two times i.e. in 2011 and 2016 and achieved the 2nd rank. She was chosen to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon. Aalto is also known for the Finnish dubbing in several American animated movies like Brave (2012), Frozen (2013), and Alice in Wonderland (2010).
Born Name
Saara Sofia Aalto
Nick Name
Saara
Saara Aalto as seen in November 2015 (Ville Paul Paasimaa / www.saaraaalto.com / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Sun Sign
Taurus
Born Place
Oulunsalo, Finland
Residence
London, England, United Kingdom
Nationality
Education
Saara attended Madetoja Secondary School For Music and graduated in 2005 before joining Sibelius Academy in Helsinki to learn music. She also took singing lessons from Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory.
Teemu Roivainen (2004-2013) – Saara Aalto started dating Finnish singer Teemu Roivainen in 2004. The couple remained together for 9 years before getting separated in 2013. Both Saara and Teemu decided to remain on good terms.
Meri Sopanen (2013-Present) – During The Voice of Finland in 2012, Meri Sopanen sent a fan message to Saara and a year later, she met Saara on her concert and began dating in 2014. She publicly came as Lesbian and they both got engaged in August 2016. Saara and her fiancee, Meri shifted to London in January 2017.
Saara Aalto (Left) and Meri Sopanen in a selfie in August 2017 (Saara Aalto / Instagram)
Aalto often tends to dye her hair ‘black’, ‘dark brown’, or ‘red’.
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Lesbian
Distinctive Features
Bulbous Nose
Defined and Tinted Chin
Saara Aalto as seen in June 2017 (Evalota / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0)
Brand Endorsements
Saara Aalto has not endorsed any brand yet.
Best Known For
Taking part in several music competitions
Achieving the position of the first runner-up at the 1st season of The Voice of Finland in 2012
First Album
Saara released her debut studio album titled Blessed with Love on May 11, 2011, via Yume Records.
First Film
She made her theatrical film debut as a voice actress by providing the voice to the lead character Princess Pea in the Finnish version of the 2008 drama-fantasy animation film, The Tale of Despereaux.
First TV Show
Aalto made her first TV show appearance as a contestant on Talent Suomi (series 1) in 2007.
Saara Aalto in an Instagram selfie as seen in February 2018 (Saara Aalto / Instagram)
Saara Aalto Facts
She started writing her own songs at the age of 5.
At the age of 11, Aalto won the Kotka Maritime Festival song contest for children.
She did her piano training under the guidance of the famous pianist and pedagogue Olga Maslak.
She was raised in a music-oriented family.
Saara won the Charlotte Church international singing competition in 2003.
In 2004, she participated at the Golden Stag International Song Contest in Romania and represented Finland.
Aalto participated and opened with the song Taking Chances by Celine Dion during the blind auditions on The Voice of Finland in 2012.
She played Dorothy and Phannee in the Finnish production of Wicked – The Musical.
From 2008 to 2011, Aalto starred as Kelsi in High School Musical on Stage! and in the 2nd installment of the production.
She appeared as a guest singer in the show Rhapsody in Rock at Shanghai Daning theatre in November 2012.
In 2013, she collaborated with Spanish tenor José Carreras and sang several Chinese songs.
During the closing ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2013, Saara performed with Spanish tenor José Carreras, grabbing the attention of more than 800 million viewers worldwide.
In July 2013, Aalto released an album represented to Mainland China and other Chinese markets. She sang 9 out of 13 songs in Mandarin.
Saara has collaborated with American singer and songwriter Adam Lambert in the past.
She has her own music record label named Yume Records.
Aalto has done concerts with prominent artists like Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, and pianist Robert Wells.
She has provided her voice in the Finnish version of the foreign movies and TV shows including The Tale of Despereaux (2008), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Frozen (2013), Pokémon (2011-2014), Rocka-Bye Island (2015), and Hey Duggee (2015).
Painter and documentary director Eeli Aalto and magician Simo Aalto are her relatives.
She has teamed up with the most popular and prominent military bands and orchestras, touring across Finland with her own band.
In 2016, Saara auditioned for the 13th UK series of The X Factor, singing a cover of Sia‘s Chandelier.
