“Aapo Häkkinen is an interesting guy who, with minimal external gestures, has created an exciting sex appeal around his ensemble. Of course, it’s ultimately all about impeccable musicianship, which … seems to be unrivalled in the Nordic countries.”
Mats Liljeroos, Hufvudstadsbladet, 3.1.2012

For twenty years, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra’s performances and recordings have captivated audiences with their potent combination of emotional eloquence and infectious vitality. Their programmes frequently include first modern performances of unpublished or reconstructed masterpieces, and also shed unexpected and often provocative new light on more familiar works. Their music-making has contributed to the ensemble’s reputation as a major exponent of Baltic and German Baroque music.

At home, groundbreaking productions of Monteverdi, Handel and Koželuch’s operas have earned the orchestra wide recognition. Since 2011, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra’s monthly series at the Helsinki Musiikkitalo has reached a large, new, and enthusiastic public. A visionary selection of repertoire and guest artists has ignited the audience in an unprecedented way, and in the process catalysed early music’s elevation to something of a cult status in Finland. Recurring soloists and guest directors include Franco Fagioli, Isabelle Faust, Reinhard Goebel, Werner Güra, Erich Höbarth, René Jacobs, Sophie Karthäuser, Julia Lezhneva, Riccardo Minasi, Enrico Onofri, Sonia Prina, Valer Sabadus, Carolyn Sampson, Skip Sempé, and Dmitry Sinkovsky.

“Doch das war nur der Höhepunkt. In diesem Konzert stimmte auch sonst alles.”
Joachim Lange, Leipziger Volkszeitung, 5.6.2012

Helsinki Baroque’s sound has enthralled listeners from the Cologne Philharmonie to Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and at major festivals such as Bergen, Bremen, Rheingau, and Jerusalem. Equally at home in more intimate spaces, the orchestra has launched its own midsummer festival in the idyllic setting of Janakkala’s medieval stone church.