Competition finalists
Musicians from Nordic baroque orchestras
Finnish Baroque Orchestra

The International Baroque Singing Competition Aria Borealis, held for the second time, will take place in Helsinki in October 2026. The first edition of the competition was held in Bodø, Northern Norway, in 2022.

The Aria Borealis Singing Competition, intended for singers specializing in early music, was created, developed, and is led by four ensembles of the Nordic Baroque Scene (NBS) network: Barokkanerne (Norway), Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble (Sweden), and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra (Finland). For the Helsinki edition, cooperation will also include Floridante (Estonia).

This singing competition is above all about interaction and collaboration between performers. You can read more about the ideas behind the competition in a blog post (in Finnish) published on the FiBO website in 2022.

The jury consists of Emma Kirkby, Veerle Däcklerck, Justin Doyle, and Jadran Ducumb.

The competition is part of the Helsinki Early Music Festival, held from 27 September to 4 October 2026. Other organizers of the competition include Musiikkitalo and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra. In connection with the competition, public events under the name Boreallas will also be organized.

Applications must be submitted by 28 February 2026. The eight singers selected from the video preselection will take part in both the chamber-music-style semifinal on 2 October and the semi-staged final on 4 October. More information about applying can be found on the competition’s the competition’s own website. In addition to cash prizes, awards include performance opportunities with baroque orchestras and, for example, the RIAS Chamber Choir.