Aapo Häkkinen
Aapo Häkkinen 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, with Bob van Asperen in Amsterdam and 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, he won II 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 is known as a distinguished chamber musician, and he has performed as soloist and conductor with numerous orchestras all over the world. He has conducted the modern premieres of Hasse's Irene and Koželuch's Gustav Wasa, Handel's Acis and Galatea, Haydn's L'Isola disabitata, Carissimi's Jephte, Pergolesi's La Serva padrona, Telemann's Pimpinone, Handel's Alcina, Paisiello's La Serva padrona, Schubert's Alfonso und Estrella and Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Aapo Häkkinen has recorded for the labels Aeolus, Alba, Avie, BelAir, Cantus, Deux-Elles, Naxos, and Ondine, and for numerous European radio and television companies. Besides the harpsichord, he regularly performs on the organ, clavichord and fortepiano and gives international masterclasses. He has been artistic director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra since 2003, and of the Helsinki Music Center Early Music Series as well as the Janakkala Baroque Festival.