Programmes
PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT 2026–27 IN ADDITION TO INDICATED TOURING DATES
Concept: © HeBO
CONTACT
touring April 2025
Paradise Lost
Buxtehude – Cazzati – Tunder – Victoria
Ana Vieira Leite, soprano
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
10 performers
Monday saw the appearance of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, and a programme of music from the late 17th century Düben Collection in Uppsala. This was an extremely impressive concert, with excellent playing and singing and a very well thought out and presented programme.
–Andrew Benson-Wilson, Early Music Review
Music from North and South, an opulent programme reflecting vanity, guilt, humankind’s past and future. Music was the only art supported by Lutheranism to express the kind of religious fervour found in the Roman Catholic Church. Darkness and light alternate in a magically Nordic manner.
Schmelzer: Sonata VII (1662)
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touring October 2025
Cartellieri: Rübezahl (1801)
Elisabeth Breuer, Patrick Grahl, Johannes Weisser, Valentina Inzko, Matthias Liener
Purcell Choir
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
dir. Aapo Häkkinen
75 performers
Cartellieri was more successful than his contemporary Beethoven, however he died young and was quickly forgotten. Rübezahl – the magical subject of German, Polish and Czech folklore – represents the first time Cartellieri’s operas are heard since his time.
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touring November 2025
Bach
Brandenburg Concerto V in D major, BWV 1050
Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R
Harpsichord Concerto in D major, BWV 1054
Orchestral Suite in B minor, BWV 1067
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
Aapo Häkkinen, harpsichord
dir. Leila Schayegh, violin
10 performers
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touring May 2026
Cartellieri: La Purificatione di Maria Virgine (1807)
Francesca Aspromonte, Marie Seidler, Patrick Grahl, Cornelius Uhle
Purcell Choir
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
75 performers
Modern premiere of the composer’s final masterpiece.
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touring September 2026
Queen Christina’s World
Kateryna Kasper, soprano
dir. Cecilia Bernardini, violin
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
15 performers
Queen Christina (1626–1689), a fascinating, controversial and very ‘modern’ figure, played an important role in the history of Finland. Her story will be presented from the point of view of 19th-century Finnish author Zachris Topelius, whose novel ‘Stjärnornas kungabarn’ (The Royal Children of the Stars) deals with Christina, and more generally, with pacifism and women’s education. Excerpts of the original novel will be presented in the language of the audience.
Ukrainian-German soprano Kateryna Kasper will join forces with Cecilia Bernardini, associate artistic director of the Freiburger Barockorchester. Music from Queen Christina’s Italy will include concertos, sinfonias and arias by Corelli, Scarlatti and Stradella.
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touring October 2026
C.P.E. Bach
Concerto for harpsichord & fortepiano in E flat major, Wq 47
Concerto for harpsichord in D major, Wq 18
Sinfonias for orchestra
Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord
Aapo Häkkinen, fortepiano
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
20 performers
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touring December 2026
Vivaldi: Juditha triumphans
Julia Lezhneva, Marianne Beate Kielland, Sonja Runje, Erika Baikoff
Arnold Schoenberg Chor
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
dir. Aapo Häkkinen
70 performers
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touring 2025–26
Bach: Mass in B minor
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touring 2025–26
Bach: Harpsichord Concertos
Pierre Hantaï & Aapo Häkkinen, harpsichord
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
7 performers
Kleine Besetzung, maximaler Groove: Die fünf Streicher vom Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, dessen Cembalo spielender Leiter Aapo Häkkinen und der französische Meistercembalist Pierre Hantaï brachten eine überschäumende Energie in die Aula der Göttinger Universität. Mit Präzision, enormer Spielfreude, aber auch ausgefeilter Delikatesse musizierte die aufeinander eingeschworene Gemeinschaft. Und optisch prägnant waren die jungen Finnen überdies: Ein elfenhaftes Wesen umschmeichelte das Cello, während ein mit Piratentuch und Lederhose aufgemachter Bratschist grimmig dreinblickte.
–Georg Pepl, Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
The recording of complete concertos for two harpsichords by J.S. Bach (BWV 1060–1062) received a Diapason d’or de l’année. They can be combined with other works such as the concertos for three and four harpsichords – already crowned with another Diapason d’or – or with chamber music by Bach’s predecessors such as Kirchoff and Reincken.
Pierre Hantaï & Aapo Häkkinen
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touring 2025–26
Monteverdi – Third Practice
Núria Rial, Topi Lehtipuu
Tero Saarinen Company
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
15 performers (singers, instrumentalists, dancers)
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touring 2025–26
Handel – Mozart
Julia Lezhneva, soprano
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra
dir. Aapo Häkkinen
23 performers
A singer who rivals the young Bartoli in high-octane virtuosity.
–Richard Wigmore, Gramophone
International media have described Julia Lezhneva as among ‘few young singers being widely celebrated so early in their careers’ (Independent) and as possessing the voice of ‘angelic beauty’ (New York Times), ‘pure tone’ (Die Welt) and ‘flawless technique’ (The Guardian) while Norman Lebrecht outlined her as ‘heading for the stratosphere’.