Aria Borealis (FINAL)
International Baroque Singing Competition
Händel
Maija Rautasuo, coloratura soprano (Finland)
Mari Aschehoug, soprano (Norway)
Josefine Mindus, soprano (Sweden)
Antonia Ortner, soprano (Austria)
Lucija Ercegovac, mezzo-soprano (Croatia)
Virgile Pellerin, countertenor (France)
Martin Höhler, tenor (Germany)
Lucas Zuehl, bass-baritone (The United States)
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Musicians from the Nordic baroque orchestras
Irma Niskanen, ledning
Justin Doyle, choir preparation
Aleksi Barrière, stage direction
The second Aria Borealis International Baroque Singing Competition will take place in Helsinki in October 2026. Following the video pre-selection round, eight singers have been chosen to advance to the live rounds. They will compete in the chamber music semifinal on 2 October and the final on 4 October. Representing eight different countries and voice types ranging from coloratura soprano to bass-baritone, the finalists can be explored in more detail here.
The semi-staged final consist of a ‘pasticcio’ of Georg Friedrich Händel operas and oratorios titled The Transforming Fire, conceived by writer-director Aleksi Barrière and featuring many beloved arias from the master’s catalogue. The eight singers, for whom the pasticcio was specially crafted, will lend their voices to a montage of scenes showcasing Händel’s interest in the psychology of transformation, whether in the form of love, grief, or resilience.
The inaugural Aria Borealis competition, held in Bodø, Northern Norway, in 2022, was won by soprano Johanna Falkinger. Since her victory, she has appeared with leading figures in the early music world, including Jordi Savall and Christina Pluhar.
The Aria Borealis International Baroque Singing Competition, dedicated to singers specialising in early music, was created, developed and is jointly directed by the four ensembles of the Nordic Baroque Scene (NBS) network: Barokkanerne (Norway), Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble (Sweden), and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra (Finland). The Helsinki edition is also presented in collaboration with Floridante (Estonia). Unlike many other competitions, Aria Borealis places its emphasis above all on artistic interaction and collaboration between performers. You can read more about the ideas behind the competition in the blog post published on the Finnish Baroque Orchestra's website in 2022.
The jury consists of Emma Kirkby, Veerle Declerck, Justin Doyle, and Jadran Duncumb.
The competition is organised by the Helsinki Early Music Festival, Musiikkitalo, and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra. Alongside the competition, a series of public events under the name Boreallas will also be held.
Duration: 2 h 30 min (incl. intermission) + distribution of prizes
Tickets 25–57 €: Musiikkitalo's ticket office and musiikkitalo.fi