Classically trained at the prestigious Sibelius Academy, Tarja Turunen's powerful soprano was the crucial component of the Finnish operatic power-metal band Nighwish's epic sound. After being unceremoniously dumped from the band in 2005, Tarja has embarked on an eponymous solo project that tones down some of Nightwish's hard rock elements a bit, while playing up her own symphonic background.