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Eight singers, eight countries and one shared ambition: to prove that the next generation of Baroque singers is already here. For its second edition, the international Aria Borealis competition comes to Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo on 2 and 4 October.
Following a video pre-selection, eight young artists have been chosen, from Swedish soprano Josefine Mindus to French countertenor Virgile Pellerin, as well as Finnish coloratura soprano Maija Rautasuo, Norwegian singer Mari Aschehoug and Croatian mezzo-soprano Lucija Ercegovac. Conceived as a genuine chamber music concert, the semi-final gives the singers an unusual degree of initiative: they have devised their own programmes and lead rehearsals with the instrumentalists themselves. Two days later, they will all return for a semi-staged final, Transforming Fire, a pasticcio drawing on Handel’s Semele, Acis and Galatea, Alcina and Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno.
Alongside Emma Kirkby, the jury includes Veerle De Clercq, Justin Doyle and Jadran Duncumb. But Aria Borealis is also a Nordic venture: the competition is supported by Barokkanerne, Concerto Copenhagen, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, joined in Helsinki by the Estonian ensemble Floridante. A very tangible way of helping young voices travel beyond national borders.
Helsinki Early Music Festival: https://helsinkiearlymusicfestival.fi/en/
Aria Borealis: https://ariaborealis.com/
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