Finnish Baroque Orchestra

"The concept and dramaturgy of the album keep the listener wonderfully captivated for an hour," writes Santeri Kaipiainen about the Finnish Baroque Orchestra's (FiBO) album The World Is Born.

The theme for the contemporary music festival Musica nova Helsinki this year (2–10 February) is Polytopia, referring to a plurality of locations and performance practices. The programme features world premieres, spatial art, evocative soundscapes and a societal dimension. Events with live audiences cannot be held due to the coronavirus restrictions still in place, but the festival is going ahead with a roster of online performances and radio broadcasts.

At first it looked like all summer festivals would be lost this year, but now that restrictions are being eased, there are signs of revitalisation everywhere, and the field of culture is no exception. In the wake of a string of cancellation announcements, streaming events and live concerts for limited audiences are being prepared near and far. While this is a classic case of ‘watch this space for further developments’, what is Finland’s exceptional classical music festival summer looking like as of now?

Musica nova Helsinki, Finland’s largest contemporary music festival, takes place 1-10 February 2019. Here's FMQ's selection of the concerts and events you should not miss!

"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.