After making her debut in Göteborg in 1963, Birgit Finnilä went on to have an exciting career focused mainly on the concert platform. She sang with many great conductors, including Barenboim and Karajan, and recorded a number of the Bach Cantatas, including the great Alto Cantata: Widerstehe doch der Sünde (BWV 54). She had a particular resonance for the works of Gustav Mahler. Her operatic roles include Lucretia, Orfeo and Erda.