Merja Soria, a native of Finland, is an instructor of traditional Finnish music at San Diego State University. Ms. Soria received her Master of Music degree at the Sibelius Academy in Finland. In 1995 she was named the first Finlandia Foundation Performer of the Year. In 1992 she performed a program of ancient Finnish music prior to the Los Angeles Philharmonic's performance of Sibelius' Kullervo Symphony . Last January Merja performed at the Winterfest Celebration honoring the Los Angeles Phiharmonic and Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. During the summer 2000 Ms. Soria performed at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Merja has also played background music for a Coca-Cola commercial which was shown on national television during the Winter Olympics in 1992. At San Diego State University Ms. Soria formed a performing ensemble 'Suddenly Finnish'. The group has performed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., at the Boise River Festival in Idaho and at the Institute on World Affairs in San Diego. Last summer Suddenly Finnish performed at KIHAUS, the second largest folk music festival of Finland. The group was featured on major TV stations, radio stations and in many newspapers. Ms. Soria is dedicated to performing the robust and touching music of Finnish heritage. She combines kanteles (Finnish folk harp) and voice to sing the songs of Suomi. Her new recording Arctic Silence is a selection of ancient Finnish songs. In these haunting melodies you can hear silence speak. A song from Arctic Silence was featured in the National Geographic Television's program "Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Rings".

Merja Soria's contact information
Mailing Address	PO Box 153242 San Diego, CA 92195
E-mail Address	msoria@cox.net