Lea Piltti

Lea Piltti (1 February 1904 – 5 February 1982) was a Finnish opera singer and voice pedagog, one of the leading coloratura sopranos of the 1930s and 40s, and one of Finland's most successful singers on the international stage.

Early life and education Lea Piltti was born to Juho Piltti and Elsa Maria Korhonen; both her parents were teachers. Her father was a keen singer, and singing helped form a strong connection between him and his daughter.

After completing her secondary education, she went to the Jyväskylä teacher training college to train also as a teacher; she completed her training, but never worked as a teacher, choosing instead a musical career.

For much of her active singing career, however, Piltti worked in Germany, where she was nicknamed Die Piltti.

Upon her return to Finland in 1943, Piltti initially received a cool reception due to her association with Nazi Germany, and it took many years for her talents to be appreciated again in her native country.

In 1974, the honorary title of Professori was conferred on Piltti.

Personal life Piltti was an extremely shy and reserved person.

She was married twice. During her time in Germany she was married to a German man, as well as taking German citizenship. The marriage ended in 1943, and Piltti returned to Finland, where, in 1946, she married Olavi Killinen.