Soprano Emma Hartikainen and pianist Tanja Niiranen began their intensive collaboration in the sphere of lied music in 2020, when they were both students at the Sibelius Academy. Having received tutoring from Ilmo Ranta, the duo has also attended numerous master classes under teachers such as Angelika Kirchschlager, Andrè Schuen, Malcolm Martineau, Christian Westergaard, Pauliina Tukiainen, Anu Komsi, Pia Värri, and Andreas Schmidt. They have studied improvisation under David Dolan from the Guildhall School in London, and their lied improvisations have been enthusiastically received in concerts.
The duo regularly performs live across Finland, with appearances at venues such as the Pro Musica Foundation, the Musica Nova festival, Ateneum Art Museum, the Soiva Kieli vocal music series, Laulumusiikin Ystävät ry concerts, the Hämeenlinna Sibelius Museum, and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in Turku. Internationally, they have performed in Florence, Salzburg, and Rome.
The duo is deeply interested in music’s ability to express and process even the most difficult emotions. In their lied collaborations, Hartikainen and Niiranen aim for nuanced, in-depth, and engaging storytelling. As performers, they are brave and sincere—qualities they believe are essential for fostering genuine interaction with the audience. They also place importance on highlighting composers and works outside of the traditional canon.
The Sibelius Academy Foundation has awarded the duo grants for study trips to Germany, Italy, and Austria, to compose a commissioned work for Maleena Linjama, and for organizing concerts featuring lied music by women composers composers from the 1900s and 2000s. In spring 2023, Hartikainen and Niiranen received a € 5,000 recognition grant from the Martin Wegelius Memorial Foundation; in spring 2024, they received a grant from the Helsinki Music Centre Foundation; and in summer 2024, they were honored with an award from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
There are 40 seats available for the concert, 30 of which can be reserved online. Register here.
The remaining seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the concert.
Free entry. Warmly welcome!
Photo: Christian Schneider