Baroque music

What happens when a composer turns away from the lush, uniform sound of the Romantic orchestra? In this column by composer Olli Virtaperko, the journey from early music instruments to contemporary orchestral challenges reveals a fresh perspective on navigating between different musical ideals.

An Indian-Italian composer studying Norwegian fiddling in Helsinki? It all comes naturally for Krishna Nagaraja, who traces parallels between far-flung genres, from Ars Subtilior and South Indian Konnakol to Irish folk and progressive metal.

Aino Peltomaa and Ilkka Heinonen are musicians who excel in the no-man’s-land between genres, organically shaping their music into something that defies labels. With backgrounds in both early and folk music, they challenge rigid expectations and the usual tendency to categorise. In this interview, they explore the power of collective creativity and embracing the unknown.

Sibafest, an open-door event showcasing various artistic activities, education, and research conducted at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, was held in late January. The event, which celebrated its tenth anniversary, comprised concerts, engaging workshops, inspiring talks, and fascinating teaching demonstrations. As this collection of photographs demonstrates, classical repertoire and contemporary sounds took myriad fascinating and colourful forms.

"The standard of Baroque music performances in Finland continues to rise, and great ambition goes into both planning and performance."

The Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) emerged as a pioneer in its field in Finland. Now, this nimble ensemble is adopting a new, democratic leadership model. With two artistic planners and an executive director, the orchestra aims to become a tighter-knit team competent not only in performance but also in audience outreach.

Pietarsaari, a tiny town on the western coast of Finland, boasts a degree programme unique for Finland, allowing students to specialise in Baroque music and complete a degree while working. The Baroque programme at the Novia University of Applied Sciences has proved attractive even for experienced musicians who are keen to learn more about early music.

Baroque violinist and conductor Kreeta-Maria Kentala writes about how attitudes towards baroque music and female conductors have changed during her career.

"It is a well-known fact that music was made and performed in great quantities in Finland during the 17th and 18th centuries. Nevertheless, Baroque music from Finland is today rarely performed or even talked about."