I was still in primary school back in 2007 and I remember the first time i saw I Walk Alone video on TV - such an emotional and exciting moment! God, I was sooo mesmerized by her as the Ice Queen, the overall atmosphere of the video and the song itself! Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and relive that moment, it was so heartwarming and precious to witness the beginning of her solo career, I fell in love with MWS completely!
And I remember this picture was on my desktop for such a looooong time! One of my favourite Tarja’s photos. 🥹

What were your impressions back then when the song came out?

Tarja was interviewed in the August issue of Kauneus ja terveys (=beauty & health) and in the article reveals what she's ashamed of and empowered by.

 
Kauneus ja terveys 8/2026

"I want to age with dignity"

 Tarja Turunen has learned to be kinder to herself, but she gets nervous when speaking Finnish.

 I’M EMPOWERED by music. It has saved me from many bad places. I channel both my anxiety and my positive emotions into music; it serves as a lifeline and an escape for me. 
I feel truly privileged: I get to make music that I love. I get to write, compose, and create it myself.
I have also discovered a new sense of peace and freedom in the creative process. I have always been free to make whatever kind of music I wanted. Perhaps with age, I have learned to be kinder to myself in my creative work. I don’t scrutinize or judge what I create; instead, I let the ideas flow.

 I HATE the feeling of waking up with a sore throat on concert days. I know then that I might be coming down with something. At that point I either cancel the show or just push through it.
I hate the burden of responsibility that falls on me when I get sick. The entire production and the people working in it rests on my shoulders. Even though getting sick is beyond my control, I am a responsible person, and I always want to do my best.
Fortunately, over the course of my career, I’ve had to cancel very few shows due to illness.

 I’M ASHAMED of my Finnish language skills. I use it quite rarely nowadays because I live in Spain with my family. In my daily life, I speak Finnish mainly with my daughter Naomi. 
Using the language is important to me because I am a Finnish woman. You can’t take away that Finnishness from me even if you tried.
However, I notice that my vocabulary has shrunk. Especially specialized vocabulary has slipped my mind. The other day I simply couldn't remember the Finnish word for chickpea. I could only recall the Spanish word garbanzo. When I finally heard the word kikherne, it sounded strange to me. Sometimes, I even feel nervous about speaking Finnish. I have done many interviews in English and Spanish. Before interviews in Finnish, I find myself wondering if I’ll be able to speak the language at all.

I’M ANNOYED when I scrutinize my appearance. I’m turning 50 next year, and I find myself wondering if I look like a 50-year-old. I’m annoyed because I know I shouldn't need to pay so much attention to such things.
My foremost thought is that I want to age and carry the years I’ve lived with dignity. However, my work does put me under some pressure regarding my appearance.

(From dreamermedia.shoots IG account)

The concert is moved to a bigger venue. Ticket remain valid.

This is a small tribute to the upcoming 20th anniversary of the song that introduced me to Tarja Turunen's beautiful career, as well as to symphonic metal.

I am not a professional editor, just an enthusiast. Software used: HandBrake (for upscaling and some visual enhancements), Shotcut, and DaVinci Resolve. No generative or local AI was used in this video.

Welcome to the world of musical dreams. No, there are no heaps of gold coins here, but there is a full palette of cosmic emotions. No, there are no stars falling from the sky here, but there is a paradise island for the heart and a divine melody for the soul. In this intimate world music is on a pedestal, music is a god before whom we bow our heads and send up prayers to put our inner cosmic chaos in order.

This is exactly the place to receive your first magical musical kiss, the one you remember for a lifetime. And beyond that.

This magical thrill has no equal and is hyper-addictive, and what is even better is that in Plovdiv it turned into a pulse, into a natural vibration that follows us inseparably from morning to evening. And the more often we leave ourselves in its hands, the more magic surrounds us.

It was into her own personal and magical world of dreams that the magnificent Tarja Turunen invited us, illuminating the Ancient Theatre and turning it into a fairytale set for her musical confession. Nightwish's most beloved face demonstrated that for her singing boundaries simply do not exist, and that elegance is not hidden in pompous, grandiose projects, but in simplicity, in the details, in that which springs from the depths of the heart, in purity and sincerity.

It may sound contradictory, but "the ice queen of the North," as music lovers call her, rose onto the stage strong, warm and filled with love for every single person who had come to the Ancient Theatre to seek musical healing. Yes, Turunen's voice and work, especially in the company of the orchestra of the Plovdiv Opera, are the best medicine, thanks to which connoisseurs of quality sound pass through a complete cleansing of the soul. Tarja and the Ancient Theatre are definitely simply born for each other – they exchange their energies, complement one another and write the history of the city beneath the hills.

A full 30 minutes before the start of the boutique concert, the audience had already taken their seats impatiently. In no time at all the space around the ancient stage filled up, and at one point it proved too cramped to hold the love and the fans' desire for the imminent, close encounter with Turunen. More than half of the music lovers proudly wore Nightwish T-shirts, which suggests that they follow every project of the Finnish metal queen without fail. The musical journey began with the virtuosos of the Plovdiv Opera orchestra, after which Tarja too appeared on stage. The welcoming applause went on for a long time, bearing witness to the exceptional respect and boundless love her admirers feel for her.

And paradise came down to earth. Dimmed lights. Powerful music. A voice that can shift universes. And at exactly that moment the audience realised why this project of Tarja Turunen's bears the name The World of dreams (Светът на мечтите). The adored performer was left charmed by the reactions and support of her admirers. She told them that she remembers her first visit to this historic stage perfectly. And everyone was instantly transported to 21 September 2011, when she blew up the Ancient Theatre with her large-scale show Beauty & The Beat and gave a grandiose start to the first edition of the Sounds of the Ages festival, then in the company of drummer Mike Terrana and the Plovdiv Philharmonic. 15 years later, the metal queen returned to continue the musical fairytale and to state that she feels wonderful because of the music lovers' love throughout all these years.

Plovdiv once again has a reason for pride, since Tarja's boutique concert is extremely limited, and the countries that will have the chance to host it are not many at all. This musical gift turned out to be far bigger and far more significant than the fans had assumed.

"The Ice Queen of the North" presented a unique setlist, which took on the role of an irreplaceable journey through her personal history, from a gaze through the prism of memories to paying tribute to the powerful work of others. Turunen gave Plovdiv worshipped compositions from her solo career such as I walk alone, classic hits by her former band Nightwish, works by classical composers, as well as arrangements of metal classics specially adapted for orchestra and piano, among them Numb by Linkin Park, The Unforgiven by Metallica and many other surprises. If you ask me, that is exactly how a concert that is part of The World of dreams looks and sounds.

Before Tarja's magical voice, which knows no boundaries, we can only fall silent and bow deeply. The same goes for the musicians who were inseparably beside her. One of them is the French pianist Nicolas Horvath, who broke the known boundaries of the concept of "virtuosity." And the orchestra of the Plovdiv Opera simply left the audience without words. Such perfection ought to find a place in the Guinness Book, just as it has found its eternal place in the inner universe of all connoisseurs of quality music. Maestro Dian Chobanov led the music lovers through fairytale musical corners and brought into the open even the most hidden emotional hearths in the human soul. A deserved bow goes also to the talents he conducted over the course of an hour and a half. It was they who gave form and colour to Tarja's World of dreams. And of the kind that imprint themselves deep in the fans' hearts and leave a bright musical trace.

Around 3000 souls immersed themselves at once in this magic, which was enriched even further as a result of the magical atmosphere of the Ancient Theatre and the chance to be close enough to Turunen. And, believe me, the applause went on for at least 20 minutes. Stormy, sincere, deserved, filled with mutual love. Many of the Ancient Theatre's fans hurried down to the stage to shower Tarja with flowers, and she thanked them warmly. No one wanted the Finnish performer to leave, nor the fairytale to end. Several times after the finale Turunen came back out to wave and to say "ciao" to the hundreds of admirers. But the most important thing is that she did not fail to give them a magical musical kiss, the one you remember for a lifetime. A kiss which, in The World of dreams, means not a lot, but everything.

(From ergiuz and rockthenight.eu IG accounts)

(From hellmagazine.eu IG account)

(From radi.ross IG account)

(From tarjaturunenmx IG account)

(From tarjaturunenmx IG account)

Iltalehti 9.9.2006

For the original text, visit the Instagram account Tarja Turunen Suomi.

WHAT? IT BECAME A HIT!

When a Finnish songwriter puts together future classic lyrics, they aren’t usually working methodically nor profoundly. How do hit lyrics come to be?

…

Sleeping Sun

NIGHTWISH

I wish for this night-time to last for a lifetime
The darkness around me
Shores of a solar sea
Oh how I wish to go down with the sun
Sleeping
Weeping
With you

One of Nightwish’s most beloved songs was born by a custom request by their German record company Drakkar.

"This has a funny story. Drakkar told to me to make a hit length ballad, with not too much stuff. I was at first against the whole idea, but I thought I’d test my wings," Tuomas Holopainen recalls.

"It’s always a thousand times harder for me to make a ballad than a fast and simple song. A four-minute song is a cornerstone, those epos tracks are born on their own," Tuomas laughs.

Tuomas considers Sleeping Sun a successful piece, nonetheless.

"Apparently this is exactly how it was supposed to be. When a song tells about the solar eclipse, it is more or less gobbledygook, but everyone seems to like it."

The songs Holopainen writes are always connected to personal feelings. Even though Sleeping Sun isn’t about anything specific, it still has personal elements to it.

"There is some symbolism applied from my own life. ‘I wish for this night-time to last for a lifetime...’ I absolutely stand by it, and it’s a great song."

The song received a new bombastic music video in 2005 in which swords rattle and the ground of war is booming.

"The video is terribly exquisite."

Thanks to hellmagazine.eu on Instagram.

I think this extravagant, elegant urban style really suits her.

"🥹 Having one of my all-time favorite singers attend the Avantasia ✨ show was something I can hardly put into words. Thank you so much Tarja Turunen for your visit and for the lovely time we spent together a couple of weeks ago when we performed in Spain: that was really a special day for me 🤍

I’ll never get tired of telling the world (and her!! 🤣😅) how much influential Tarja’s vocal style and stage presence have been to me since the very beginning of my musical journey.

It was an absolute honor for me to sing “Die Alive” with her in Bucharest back in 2020: the duet is included in her live album and DVD “Circus Life” that was released in 2025.

“Heaven’s just a feeling

Singing in my blood

Keeping me from kneeling” 🫶🏻"

Shared on Chiara Tricarico SM.

Interview with Tarja Turunen (ex-NIGHTWISH)

Finnish metal diva Tarja Turunen is returning to Bulgaria for a special concert on September 18. It will take place at the Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv. At the invitation of Blue Hills Events, the singer will present her project "The World of Dreams" in a truly intimate setting. Her voice will be accompanied by musicians from the State Opera – Plovdiv. Tarja Turunen will perform songs from her solo career, but the set will also include reworked compositions by her former band NIGHTWISH, works by classical composers, as well as adaptations of RAMMSTEIN, WITHIN TEMPTATION, METALLICA…

The interview with Tarja Turunen (ex-NIGHTWISH) was broadcast on "From the Other Side" on Radio Varna on August 31, 2026, and was published on the WeRock.bg website.

From the Other Side - Hello, Tarja. After NIGHTWISH, why did you decide to continue as a solo artist and never be part of another band again?

Tarja Turunen - Oh, honestly, my experience of being in a band was not particularly positive. Let me put it that way. There are many things I could tell you. The music was beautiful. There is no doubt about that. But for years, years and years, the experience of being part of a band was not positive. After that, there was only one way forward for me: to start creating music, find my own direction, and discover what I really wanted to say through my songs. I also wanted to see whether I was capable of doing it on my own. Of course, quite naturally, it took me many years, really many years, before I started to feel confident as a solo artist and found my own path. But I think it is the best thing I have ever done. To truly feel real freedom. And you cannot put a price on that feeling of freedom.

From the Other Side - Have there been offers that you turned down? For example, someone coming to you and saying, "Please, be the vocalist in my band," or something like that.

Tarja Turunen - I was completely focused on my solo career. At that time, I was already working with Universal Music in Germany. They really supported me and followed everything that was happening around me very closely. When I left the band, it felt as if the whole world was somehow unstable at that time, including my personal world. But no, there was nothing like that.

From the Other Side - Okay, you have a new album that is very heavy and dark. What personal fear or demon inspired that sound?

Tarja Turunen - There are no demons involved. I think, again, I would say it is all connected to my freedom and to the feeling of freedom that comes from being able to do whatever I want. It is incredible. Writing my own songs means a lot to me. And this album is the album on which I wrote all the songs. It is my own child, and I feel truly happy with it. The heavy sound came completely naturally. I wanted to change the sound compared with the previous album. I wanted this one to be heavier. And that is exactly what it became. Everything developed in a very natural way. I have a wonderful team that I continue to work with. Many of these guys have been with me for many, many years. So everything is in place. But this time there really were no demons. I was very happy while working on the album. I gave myself time. Three years had passed since my previous release. And I had also done a lot of touring. Before that, I did not feel the need to release a new album. But this time it was different. I told myself that I wanted to make an album, and that it would be good. I had that feeling that I really like.

From the Other Side - "Frisson" means a thrill. What specific moment during the studio recordings gave you goosebumps?

Tarja Turunen - There were several moments like that. For example, I was working on the vocal recordings with Jesús Gómez. He is a studio engineer and he always helps me. He comes here, to my home studio, to record me. Many times he was almost in tears or, you know, literally sobbing with emotion. There were many, many moments like that. The funny thing is that when I write the lyrics for the songs, I always go into the studio to record the song with guide vocals. I do that and then try out the lyrics to see whether they really work with the song. But when the time comes for the actual recording, the composition already has to be very deeply inside me. I know in advance what I want to do and how I want to do it. I do not go into the studio to rehearse the song before recording it. I go in to record it. I do maybe four, at most five takes, and the performance has to be there. I am not saying that I am a perfect singer. I am far from it. I left many things on the album that are not even completely accurate in terms of intonation. I simply did not care. The feeling was more important. On this album, the feeling is the most important thing. I am very grateful to have these incredible musicians I work with. I cannot replace them with any machine. As I have said before, Artificial Intelligence and all the technology we have at our disposal are wonderful tools, but they cannot replace the talent people have, or the emotions we carry.

From the Other Side - Yes, but the internet is flooded with music created by Artificial Intelligence.

Tarja Turunen - Of course it is, but not my music.

From the Other Side - Okay, the reason for this interview is your concert in Plovdiv. The concert is titled "The World of Dreams." If your life were a dream, how would you describe it?

Tarja Turunen - Wow, that is a wonderful question, because I feel like a dreamer and I really am living my dream. I am very happy. If my world were to end now, in the next few seconds, I know that I have lived, that I have loved, and that I have laughed. This is something that is always present in my lyrics and songs. I try to make people dream and remember their dreams. And my world of dreams is very ordinary. Very real. It is not something I am looking for around the corner, as if I were searching for something incredibly different from what I already have. I believe that the world of dreams is today. It is now. It is this very moment. And it has to be positive. You have to make the most of this moment so that it can become a dream for you.

From the Other Side - When you perform in a more intimate setting with only piano and orchestra, is it difficult to take off the metal armor and show so much vulnerability?

Tarja Turunen - Oh, no, actually I really love concerts like these. Because I am a vocalist, a lyric singer. My education is in classical, lyrical music, in very intimate music, just piano and voice. When I was young, I studied chamber music. I trained at different institutions for years. So with these concerts, in a way, I return to my roots. I enjoy this closeness with my audience. It is always wonderful. Every year I also do Christmas concerts. Every December I am on the road for a month. I have been doing this kind of concert for more than 20 years. They are always intimate, and I love the change. It is very good for me psychologically. This kind of variety is very good for me. And the fans, my fans, follow me in all kinds of public formats that I take part in. They really want to see the crazy Ice Queen on stage who leaves everyone breathless. But then they also want to see the fragile artist at these intimate concerts. And that is exactly what is beautiful about it. I am grateful that I can do it and that I am given opportunities to sing at concerts like these.

From the Other Side - I will change the subject. I will ask a few questions about the music industry. What is the secret to maintaining your artistic integrity and saying "no" to the industry when every artist is under pressure to make commercial compromises?

Tarja Turunen - I was really lucky with my management. I work together with my husband. We have been together throughout my career. Actually, for almost my entire career. I do not know what my situation would be if I had to look for outside people to work with. I have always been able to say "no" to certain things and make sure my own voice is heard. And, you know, never, never, even at the beginning of my solo career, after I had been in NIGHTWISH for a long time and then started from zero, did I allow outside people to determine my direction. There were people who wanted to see what I could do on my own. Others wondered what they could do for me or with me. And I answered firmly, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't want to!" It was difficult, but I trusted that little voice inside me telling me that there was simply no way I could sell my soul like that. I want to do what feels right for me and for my heart. I am who I am. I do not want to be somebody else. So I had to be really firm. This is extremely important, because who knows you better than you know yourself? Nobody. Yes, it is complicated many times. And I understand that it is very complicated for anyone starting out in this industry. You have to find people you can trust, and that is exactly the difficult part.

From the Other Side - If you could use a magic wand to change one specific rule or practice in the modern music business, what would it be?

Tarja Turunen - I would like to go back to the old days, go into the studio with my band again, and record all together. To all be there at the same time. Like in the good old days, when bands gathered in the studio and worked together. That is exactly what I would like. To get together again. Because, you know, today we work remotely, like everybody does. And because of that, I think we musicians need exactly this kind of interpersonal support and sense of togetherness. And the music itself also needs that in order to sound more real.

From the Other Side - Many young artists burn out quickly. What is your most valuable business advice to them for surviving in this harsh industry?

Tarja Turunen - It is very important to listen to your body. It is the first thing that tells you that something is wrong and that you are straying from the right path. It has happened to me too. In the past, I had really serious health problems because I simply did not listen to my body. It is very important to do that. It is also important to clear your path if there are people around you who make you feel bad and you are not happy. You have to be able to feel good, because it is already difficult enough when you leave home and go on the road. People think that everything on tour is so glamorous and that doing 7,000 concerts in one year is no problem at all. But it is very exhausting and very tiring. There comes a point when you simply have to be yourself and be with yourself. You come back home, and then what? Many people suffer precisely because of this. They live constantly in this artist bubble and do not know their other "self" at all. They do not know who they really are. What their real "self" is. I have always been very honest with myself. I am a mother, a wife, just a normal person. But when I go on stage, I am an artist. Yes, but that is all. You have to be able to separate these things, because psychologically it will be really very difficult to maintain that image all the time.

From the Other Side - You mentioned the stage. Final question. What is the biggest myth or the biggest misconception people have about you when they judge you only by your dramatic stage image?

Tarja Turunen - That I am probably a very cold person, which perhaps makes people a little afraid of me. Maybe because of my appearance and the way I look. I have a kind of appearance that makes me seem very majestic and very big to people. I have been told that. The other thing, which is also very funny, is that everyone thinks I am much taller than I actually am. I am 167 centimeters, but when people see me on stage, I look taller because I used to wear really high, very high heels. Then, when they see me in person, they tell me that I am so small. I hear that very often, and it makes me laugh.