She graduated from the Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki with diplomas in both orchestral and choral conducting her teachers being Eri Klas, Jorma Panula, Leif Segerstam, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Atso Almila and Matti Hyökki.

Conductor and composer:  Almark held the position as conductor at the Helsinki City Theatre (1998 – 2004) and at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki (2002 – 2004). During the recent years Johanna Almark has conducted Oulu Sinfonia, the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra, Joensuu City Orchestra, and the Wegelius String Orchestra in programs including first performances of her own music.

In 2023 Johanna Almark composed the monologue opera Orlando for her own soprano voice and a chamber ensemble of seven instrumentalists. The opera is based on the novel by Virginia Woolf and was performed at the Åland Opera Festival as well as at the Helsinki Contemporary Opera Festival

In 2024 the boy’s choir of the Helsinki Dome Cantores Minores gives several performances of their Almark-commission, the three-part, three-lingual motet Animos revocate; Joensuu City Orchestra gives six performances of Almark’s music fairy tale under the baton of the composer; she is also to conduct Oulu Sinfonia in the first performance of her orchestral work Flyways for migrating birds.

Almark successfully combines composing with conducting. She also makes innovative arrangements of existing instrumental and vocal music.

Choral conductor: Almark has conducted Finland ’s top choirs, among them Akademiska damkören Lyran (Artistic director 1988 – 1998), Choir of the Finnish National Opera, Choir of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Tapiola Chamber Choir and Suomen Laulu. 

Performing artist: As a singer Almark represents a unique combination of the virtuoso baroque soprano, the soulful jazz singer and the strong interpret of new music, her latest achievement being singing the title role in her own monologue opera Orlando. She has released three solo records. Almark is a reliable ensemble singer as well – she has been part of the choir of the FBC, Helsinki Chamber Choir and vocal ensembles Lumen Valo and close harmony ensemble Octopus, to mention but a few.

Almark combines singing with conducting in a varied repertoire, including the tone poem Luonnotar by Jean Sibelius, Kunegonda’s aria Glitter and be gay from the operetta Candide by Leonard Bernstein as well as work by other composers (Lili Boulanger, Anders Hillborg ao.), not to mention her own music.

Almark was awarded the Prize of Finnish Swedish Heritage Day 2017 with the following motivation:
“Johanna Almark has a musical expression of her own where she broad mindedly combines several musical genres, spanning from baroque to world music and jazz. Besides her career as a professional performing artist Almark promotes amateur music. She has conducted choirs and orchestras at musical camps for children and youth. As an arranger, composer, singer, violinist and improviser Almark organizes interactive concerts where the audience takes part in the music making. With her exceptional musical talent and positive energy Almark is a great asset for the Finnish cultural life”.

Almark gives workshops on physical and vocal expression and improvisation. The workshops – aimed both at professionals and amateurs, children and adults – focuses on rhythm, physical movement and learning music by ear, drawing inspiration from both Western art music as well as from different ethnic traditions.

Johanna’s heart beats for our environment. She takes an active part in the preservation of our nature and it’s biodiversity as well as in actions to prevent climate change. During 2019 she is the artistic director for concerts and video productions included in the Climate Aid project.