BOREALLAS / schedule

BOREALLAS AT MUSIIKKITALO 2026
Orchestra: Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri FiBO (large ensemble)

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

Lower Foyer
18.00–19.00 OPENING: HEMF Festival and Aria Borealis Competition / Cantores Minores, jury, singers, artistic directors

THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER

Paavo & Lower Foyer
12.00–15.00 OPEN REHEARSAL Aria Borealis semi-final & stage work for the final

Lower Foyer
16.30–16.45 CHOIR QUARTER-HOUR Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department vocal ensemble course
16.45–17.00 CHOIR QUARTER-HOUR All 4 Voices (Helsinki Conservatory Youth Mixed Choir)

Ritarihuone
17.30–18.15 CITY WALK From Varsapuistikko to Ritarihuone: “Frozen Music” / Juhani Styrman
18.15–18.45 CONCERT INTRODUCTION
19.00–20.00 CONCERT “Glow of the Evening” / Akateeminen Laulu
19.00–20.00 Concert in the Kuoromusiikin kausikonsertit series, see more information and tickets

FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER

Auditorium
12.00–13.30 DOCENT LECTURE “Intertextuality in William Byrd’s Keyboard Music” / harpsichordist, D.Mus., Senior Lecturer Assi Karttunen

Lower Foyer
13.30–14.30 DISCUSSION “How to approach radio + venues? Everything you wanted to ask a promoter” / Veerle Declerck (artistic coordinator, Concertgebouw Brugge)
14.30–15.30 DISCUSSION “Me in media – use or be used?” / Julia Kaiser (music journalist, Deutschlandradio)

Organo
15.30–16.00 OPEN REHEARSAL conducting practice choir, Sibelius Academy Department of Church Music

Lower Foyer
16.00–16.20 MASTERCLASS PRESENTATION “The King’s 1,000 Violins” / upper strings of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta and Finnish National Opera Orchestra
16.30–16.50 CHOIR QUARTER-HOUR Sibelius Academy church musicians’ choir
16.50–17.20 CHOIR QUARTER-HOUR Higher Ground Vocals
17.20–17.40 CHOIR QUARTER-HOUR Finnish-German Choir
17.45–18.00 WORK PRESENTATION Vasa Baroque: “Bländad av död och skärlek” / Kajsa Dahlbäck, soprano and Henrik Sandås, bandoneon

18.30–22.00 ARIA BOREALIS – SEMI-FINAL Paavo Hall
18.30–19.30 Group I – TICKETS €12–25 HERE!
20.00–22.00 Groups II–III – TICKETS €23–40 HERE!

SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER

Huopalahti Church
12.00–14.00 FINAL CONCERT OF THE EAR-LY BAROQUE ENSEMBLE COMPETITION / organised by NORDEM

Lower Foyer
11.00–11.30 PERFORMANCE Baroque dance / La Porte du Temps
11.30–12.30 INTERVIEW “How does social class affect opera?” / Marissa Mehr, Henna Tanskanen (interviewer)
12.30–13.00 WORK PRESENTATION “La Calisto” / co-production: Finnish National Opera SKOB, Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri FiBO and 00100. Speakers: Thomas de Mallet Burgess (Artistic Director, Finnish National Opera), Henna Tanskanen
13.00–13.30 WORKSHOP “The Singing Body” – Pilates for singers / Tommi Hyytinen
13.30–14.30 PERFORMANCE Improvised opera / Improa! featuring Mia Heikkinen, Jenni Lättilä and Mikko Helenius
14.30–15.30 MASTERCLASS PERFORMANCE / instrumental ensembles and voice students of the Sibelius Academy
15.30–16.00 WORK PRESENTATION “Sieluttaret” & discussion on the theme of desire in opera and 17th-century music / co-production: Finnish National Opera SKOB and Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri FiBO. Speakers: Siljamari Heikinheimo, Marianna Henriksson
16.00–17.00 PANEL Opera in the 21st Century / Matias Häkkinen, Debi Wong (Vancouver), Alejandro Olarte et al.
17.00–17.45 PANEL The Minuet in Folk Dance and Baroque Dance / Petri Hoppu, Maria Hostikka, Heidi Palmu, Marcus Blomberg and Petri Myllynen
18.00–19.00 DANCE WORKSHOP Try out Baroque dance steps (minuet) / Petri Myllynen and Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri
19.00–20.00 DANCE WORKSHOP Try out folk dance steps (minuet) / Nordic Dance
20.00–21.00 AWARD CEREMONY EAR-ly Baroque Ensemble Competition

Organo
15.00–16.00 WORKSHOP “Remix Your Favourite Opera!” / Marissa Mehr (continues as a self-directed activity in the Lower Foyer throughout the evening)
16.30–17.30 IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE / TASTER “La Calisto” / Finnish National Opera SKOB, Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri FiBO and 00100

SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER

Lower Foyer
Ongoing: Remix the Baroque Opera
14.30–14.45 PERFORMANCE AND PRESENTATION A Celebration of Songs – Suomen Bellmanseura / Bellmansällskapet i Finland 50 years / Pentti Hildén
14.45–15.00 PRESENTATION Sibelius Academy Department of Church Music 75 years / Timo Kiiskinen
15.15–16.30 PANEL Nordic Cooperation and “Joint Baroque Forces – Nordic Baroque Scene as a role model” / speakers Esko Clarke-Sario (Pohjola Norden), Laura Kajander (FiBO, HEMF), Johannes Rantanen (NORDEM), Julia Kaiser (music journalist, Deutschlandradio), Veerle Declerck (Artistic Coordinator, Belgium, Aria Borealis jury)
16.30–17.00 PERFORMANCE Singers from Emma Kirkby’s masterclass: Aria Borealis talents from the online selections
17.00–17.30 FiBO presents: upcoming repertoire and networks and the community art poem will be unveiled

Concert Hall
18.00–21.30 ARIA BOREALIS – FINAL – TICKETS €22–57 HERE!
8 winning singers, Suomalainen barokkiorkesteri FiBO, 3D Choir

MASTERCLASSES

FRI: Baroque course for the upper strings of symphony orchestras, “The King’s 1,000 Violins” / Kati Debretzeni
FRI: For Sibelius Academy students / Emma Kirkby, Justin Doyle
SAT: For successful participants in the Aria Borealis online selection / Emma Kirkby
SAT: For participants in the EAR-ly ensemble competition / Kati Debretzeni
SUN: For 3D singers, “The Rhetoric and Phrasing of Baroque Singing” / Justin Doyle

Programme planning – bubble generator Laura Kajander