This licentiate thesis examines soprano Aulikki Rautawaara (1906–1990) as a performer of Sibelius’s songs during her concert career from 1927 to 1957. The thesis consists of two peer-reviewed articles and a summarising text. The research field of the thesis is music performance research, and especially singer research. The aim of this research is to produce knew knowledge of Rautawaara’s actions, to contextualise them with the cultural, political, and social currents of the time, and in this way to understand the actions of singers in the 20th century more generally.

The guiding questions for the thesis’ two articles have been, what Sibelius’s songs Rautawaara performed, and, during the war years, where she performed them. In addition to Rautawaara’s scrap books and letters, the body of the thesis’ archival material consists of sheet music, recordings, concert programs and newspapers. This research links with cultural history, with an interest to connect a singer’s actions to the society around her. The methodological approach of the thesis uses methods of biographical research, expanding the emphatic and critical way of studying the material also to materials including sound, like sheet music and recordings.

Rautawaara performed Sibelius’s songs in almost all her concerts. Abroad, the Sibelius repertoire offered an opportunity to stand out, and to construct and exhibit Finnish identity. In Finland, the Sibelius repertoire was a way to connect with the public, ridden by the war and the depression after it, and to enhance national spirit. Rautawaara felt that she could serve her country best by singing, by performing Sibelius’s songs, and by taking the Finnish art of singing out to the world. As a continuous strand throughout Rautawaara’s career, Sibelius’s songs provide an interesting perspective on her career particularly and on the careers of singers in general.