Aapo Häkkinen
Aapo Häkkinen (1976) began his musical education as a chorister at Helsinki Cathedral. He took up the harpsichord at the age of thirteen, studying with Elina Mustonen and Olli Porthan (organ) at the Sibelius Academy. From 1995 to 1998 he studied with Bob van Asperen at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory and from 1996 to 2000 with Pierre Hantaï in Paris. He was also fortunate to enjoy the generous guidance and encouragement of Gustav Leonhardt.
Immediately after obtaining his diploma in 1998, Aapo Häkkinen won second prize and the VRT prize at the Bruges International Harpsichord Competition. He was also awarded the Norddeutscher Rundfunk special prize Musikpreis 1997 for his interpretations of Italian music. Aapo Häkkinen has appeared as soloist in lots of European and world–wide countries and festivals. He is also known as a distinguished chamber musician and director. He has conducted Handel’s Acis and Galatea (dir. Vilppu Kiljunen) and Haydn’s L’Isola disabitata (dir. Johanna Freundlich) for the Finnish Chamber Opera, Carissimi’s Jephte (dir. Juha Mustanoja) for Kokkola Opera, Pergolesi’s La Serva padrona (dir. Ozren Prohić) for the Croatian National Theatre, Handel’s Alcina (dir. Vilppu Kiljunen) for Vaasa Baroque, Telemann’s Pimpinone (dir. Ville Saukkonen) for Rovaniemi Korundi, and Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea (dir. Vilppu Kiljunen) for the Finnish National Opera.
Besides the harpsichord, he regularly performs on the organ, on the clavichord, and on the fortepiano. He has commissioned, given premières, and recorded music by Lucio Garau, Eero Hämeenniemi, Mário Laginha, Jyrki Linjama, Jukka Tiensuu, and Tapio Tuomela. He teaches at the Sibelius Academy and at international masterclasses. He is Artistic Director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and of the Helsinki Musiikkitalo Early Music Series as well as the Janakkala Baroque Festival.