The Aria Borealis International Baroque Singing Competition reaches its climax in the final.

Finalists:

Josefine Mindus, soprano (Sweden)
Antonia Ortner, soprano (Austria)
Maija Rautasuo, coloratura soprano (Finland)
Lucija Ercegovac, mezzo-soprano (Croatia)
Virgile Pellerin, countertenor (France)
Martin Höhler, tenor (Germany)
Lucas Zuehl, bass-baritone (United States)
Mari Aschehoug, soprano (Norway)
and Finnish Baroque Orchestra with Nordic friends

LYRICS

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The international baroque singing competition Aria Borealis will be held for the second time in Helsinki in October 2026. The inaugural competition took place in Bodø, Northern Norway, in 2022.

Aria Borealis is an international singing competition for performers specialising in early music. It was created, developed, and is jointly led by the four ensembles of the Nordic Baroque Scene (NBS) network: Barokkanerne (Norway), Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble (Sweden), and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra (Finland). The Helsinki edition is also organised in collaboration with Floridante (Estonia).

At the heart of this competition is the interaction and collaboration between performers. You can read more about the ideas behind the competition in a blog post published on the Finnish Baroque Orchestra’s website in 2022.

The jury consists of Emma Kirkby, Veerle De Clercq, Justin Doyle, and Jadran Duncumb.

The competition is part of the Helsinki Early Music Festival. The other organisers of the competition are the Helsinki Music Centre and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra. In connection with the competition, a series of public events under the name Boreallas will also be organised and will be open to everyone.

THE TRANSFORMING FIRE
A Pasticcio

From SEMELE Act III

Juno/Jupiter: alto, Lucija
Semele: soprano, Mari + one aria by Josefine, who sings Beauty in the last section

From ACIS AND GALATEA and ACI, GALATEA E POLIFEMO

Polyphemus: bass, Lukas
Acis: tenor, Martin
Galatea: Antonia

Overture from Arminio
Juno and Semele recit. Do I some goddess see
Juno: Behold in this Mirrour
Beauty (Bellezza). Fido specchio
Juno and Semele recit: Can that avail me?
Jupiter / Semele: You’ll grant what I require?
Jupiter: Ah! take heed what you press
Semele: No, no, I’ll take no less
Semele’s death aria: Ah me! too late I now repent

Polyphemus: Recit. I rage, I melt, I burn
Polyphemus: Aria. O ruddier than the cherry
Polyphemus and Galatea dialogue Whither fairest
Galatea/Piacere. Lascia la spina
Polifemo. Non sempre
D-minor sinfonia from Alcina
Acis: Recit. His hideous love provokes my rage
Acis: Aria. Love sounds th’alarm
Galatea: Recit. Cease
Trio: The flocks shall leave the mountain
Acis: Help, Galatea
Galatea: Aria. Heart, the seat of soft delight. (metamorphosis aria)

*Intermission 25 min*

From ALCINA and IL TRIONFO DEL TEMPO E DEL VERITA

Alcina: soprano, Maija
Ruggiero: countertenor, Virgile
Bradamante: alto Lucija

From THE TRIUMPH OF TIME AND TRUTH

Beauty: soprano, Josefine
Beauty’s recits to Mari and Antonia
Deceit: Maija / Time: Lukas / Truth: Lucija & Virgile / Pleasure: tenor, Martin

Bradamante: Vorrei vendicarmi
Recit: Le lusinghe (Bradamante/Alcina/Ruggiero)
Trio: Non è amor (Bradamante/Alcina/Ruggiero)
Alcina: Ombre pallide
Ruggiero/Truth: Crede l’uom (Trionfo)

AN INSTRUMENTAL PIECE

Recit. Deceit Once more I thee address
Beauty. Recit. Tempt me no more
Deceit: Sharp thorns
Recit. Truth, Beauty: Regard her not
Recit. Beauty, Pleasure, Truth: Since the immortal mirror
Truth: Thus to the ground –
Recit. Beauty: Oh mighty Truth
Time: From the heart
Recit. Beauty, Pleasure: Pleasure, too long associates
Aria. Pleasure/Martin: Like clouds
Recit. Beauty: She’s gone, and truth
Beauty: Guardian angels