Marianna Henriksson is a harpsichordist born in Helsinki, Finland. She performs as a soloist and member of many orchestras and ensembles. From the start of year 2023, she works in the shared artistic direction of the Finnish Baroque Orchestra (together with violinist Anthony Marini).
Henriksson studied the harpsichord at Sibelius Academy, Helsinki (Master of Music 2010) and Universität der Künste, Berlin with prof. Mitzi Meyerson (Konzertexamen with remark of excellence 2012). She actively performs both as an ensemble member and as a soloist. She has performed with renown ensembles like European Union Baroque Orchestra, il Pomo d’oro, Les Ambassadeurs, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and Finnish Baroque Orchestra; conductors like Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Rachel Podger, Gottfried von der Goltz, Riccardo Minasi; chamber music partners like Alexis Kossenko, Vittorio Ghielmi, Zefira Valova, Georg Kallweit and many others.
Henriksson takes a special interest in combining Historically Informed Performance with contemporary art forms. Her long-term collaboration with choreographer Anna Mustonen has included performances that bring contemporary dance and early 17th -century Italian music together. Henriksson has directed the music of the following collaboration productions:
–Eros (premiered in the big stage of the Dance House Helsinki 2023 as a co-production of Zodiak Centre for New Dance Helsinki, Finnish Baroque Orchestra and i dolci association; with music by Barbara Strozzi, Biagio Marini, Claudio Monteverdi)
–Maria-vesper (premiered in 2018 as a co-production of Zodiak and Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, with music by Claudio Monteverdi)
-Di anima et di corpo (premiered in Helsinki 2012, further performances 2012-2016 including Bolzano early music festival)
Henriksson and Mustonen were awarded the Finnish State Prize for Performing Arts 2018 for their work on the dialogue between music and dance.
Henriksson has premiered and recorded pieces from notable contemporary Finnish and international composers like Olli Virtaperko, Tomi Räisänen, Riikka Talvitie and Juha T. Koskinen, UK-based Shiva Feshareki and Berliner composers Sarah Nemtsov, Sebastian Elikowski-Winkler and Arne Sanders. She has taken part in Finnish National Opera productions, playing soloistic harpsichord parts of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (2016) and Saariaho’s Émilie (2015, the Finnish premiere).
She has also initiated and taken part in various other interdisciplinary projects: arranging early music with electronic music and folk music styles, performing with musicians such as trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, sound designer Tuomas Norvio, violinist Piia Kleemola and cittern player Petri Prauda. Years 2012-2016 she performed as a harpsichord soloist of the breakdance show Flying Bach, touring with the Berliner breakdance virtuoso group Flying Steps in Europe, Japan, Russia and Chile.
Henriksson is aiming for a doctor’s degree in performance at the Docmus department of Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. Her artistic research focusses on 17th century Italian music and its interdisciplinary performances.
Recent years, her work has been funded by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Pro Musica, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Finnish Music Foundation, and Sibelius Academy, Helsinki.
Henriksson’s first solo album Frammenti del discorso amoroso was released in 2018 and was nominated for the Disc of the Year -prize of the Finnish Broadcasting company YLE in the same year. She appears in many recordings, e.g.:
Ensemble Gamut!: UT. (Eclipse Music / Supersounds Music OY 2020) (The album was awarded the Finnish Early Music Act prize 2020.)
Ensemble Cornucopia & Janne Marja-aho: Jacques Brelin ja barokin lauluja (Fuuga 2020)
Finnish Baroque Orchestra: Helsinki Window. Sarah Nemtsov´s work for two harpsichords & electronic with Petteri Pitko. (FiBORecords 2019)
Earthly Angels (Kajsa Dalbäck, sopran; Andrew Lawrence-King, harp; Eero Palviainen, theorbo; Marianna Henriksson, organ): Earthly Angels. Cozzolani, Leonarda, Badalla. (Alba 2018)
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra dir. Aapo Häkkinen: Schumann – Bach. (Ondine 2018)
Barocco Boreale sol. Kreeta-Maria Kentala, Siiri Virkkala & Andrew Lawrence-King: The Folk Seasons. Vivaldi (Alba 2016)
Finnish Radio premiere recordings of works by Olli Virtaperko: In Nomine revised and Fantazia (2015)
European Union Baroque Orchestra dir. Lars Ulrik Mortensen: Four Seasons & String Concerti. Vivaldi (Obsidian 2014)
European Union Baroque Orchestra dir. Lars Ulrik Mortensen: Peace and Celebration. Händelin (Obsidian 2013)
Musica Sequenza sol. Burak Ozdemir: Silent Cantata. J. S. Bach (Sony Music 2013)
Henriksson-Kleemola-Prauda: RindaNickola (SibKaCD085, 2009) (Nominated for the Finnish “Grammy” Emma 2010.)