2025:
My opera Onnenvirta will get it’s premiere in Kuusankoski, Finland, in August 2026. The libretist is Eini-Annukka Perälä.
On the 17h of September, 2025 The Norwegian Naval Forces’ Band performed my piece The Forest Within Me in Håkonshallen, Bergen, Norway. The concert was conducted by Julie Røssland. The version heard in the concert was an adaption commissioned by the Norwegian Naval Forces Band, tailored specifically to their orchestra.
Here’s the whole Program:
Joan Tower – Fanfare for the uncommon woman, no. 1
Louise Farrenc Arr.: J. I . Holland – Overture no. 2
Clara Schumann Arr.: A. Högstedt – Liebst du um Schönheit og Liebeszauber
Ruth Gipps – Seacape
Lili Boulanger Arr.: A. Högstedt – D’un matin de printemps
Agathe Backer Grøndahl Arr:. Ryland – Aftnen er stille
Auri-Helena Nikkinen – The Forest Within Me
Grazyna Bacewicz Arr.: A. Högstedt – Overture
On the 28th of August, 2025 My piece From Cluelessness to Clarity was featured at the Ung Nordisk Musik -festival in Helsinki. The piece was played by Avanti! Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Jutta Seppinen. Photos by the official UNM photographer Tuomas Tenkanen @tuupics (Instagram)
On the 3rd of May 2025 The Ostrobotnian Chamber Orchestra (KPKO) premiered my piece Sumun syvimmästä sopukasta in Uusinta uutta concert in the Fordell hall of Snellman Music Center, Kokkola. The premiere was conducted by Mikael Loponen. Program note: Sumun syvimmästä sopukasta tells a story about a creature that is born from the mist of a swamp and ventures into the surrounding world. The creature experiences many things, but in the end never quite finds what it’s looking for, and in its disappointment towards the world finally returns to the swamp and vanishes into the fog.
In February 2025 a concertful of my lied music was performed in the Valokeilassa Auri-Helena Nikkinen profile concert. The program included one world premiere: Globi et lineae – a 7-minute lied for mezzo-soprano and piano. The latin text of the lied describes how important musicians are to composers, and to the very essence of music itself. The piece was premiered by Marja Kari and Ilmo Ranta.
2024:
On the 13th of December, 2024: The amateur wind band arrangement of my piece The Forest Within Me was premiered in the Tampere University main hall by Puhallinorkesteri Akateeminen Henkäys, conducted by Heidi Hämäläinen.
On the 17th of November, 2024: My three-movement choral piece Muistoja kesästä (“Memories of Summer”) for descant choir (SSA) got its premiere in Kaarina-house (Kaarina-talo) Turku. The piece was premiered by Kamun nuorisodiskanttikuoro, conducted by Iida Aarnio. Here you can listen to a demo of the work recorded in June 2024:
On the 23rd of November, 2024: My piece Sadepisaroita for voice and piano got its premiere in the final concert of L.I.E.D. composition competition, in the Helsinki Conservatoire concert hall. The piece was premiered by Assi Penttilä and Jonna Hänninen. In the competition Sadepisaroita won the special prize awarded by Laulumusiikin ystävät society.
On the 13th of June, 2024: Seven of my pieces were performed in the Synthesis, Reminiscence and a Drunken Toucan -concert in the main hall of Sibelius Academy’s R-building:
Your music for soprano and piano (soprano Matilda Nikkinen and pianist Olli Mikkonen
Lagoon for voice and piano (soprano Matilda Nikkinen and pianist Olli Mikkonen
Regards from Montes de Toledo for flute, guitar and violoncello (flutist Tuule-Helin Krigull, cellist Otto Nuoranne and guitarist Teuvo Taimioja)
Tyhjiä hönkäyksiä – Hohe (“Empty Breaths”) for soprano and paper accordion (performer Heidi Hämäläinen)
Hunnuton for soprano and piano (soprano Matilda Nikkinen and pianist Olli Mikkonen
An Urban Tiger for solo piano (pianist Elina Rautiainen)
Humoresque pour Maxim – Memoir of a Drunken Toucan for bassoon and piano (bassoonist Aaro Lehtomäki and pianist Tanja Niiranen)
On May 27th, 2024: Zagros Ensemble, conducted by Petri Komulainen, premiered my piece From cluelessness to clarity, in the Camerata hall of Helsinki Music Centre.
On the 24th of May, 2024: Helsinki Police Symphonic Band premiered my piece The Forest Within me, in Helsinki, Temppeliaukio church. Kyösti Vesterinen conducted the premiere.
On the 23th of April, 2024: Mikko Raasakka premiered my electroacoustic piece Alone (?!) in the Cave for Bass Clarinet and tape in the Helsinki Music Centre.
2023
May 16, 2023: The world premiere of Hunnuton (“Unveiled”) – a piece for soprano and piano, based on Aila Meriluoto’s poem, took place in Hämeenlinna on the 16th of May, in 2023. The piece was commissioned by Hämeenlinna Sibelius society, and it was performed by soprano Helena Juntunen and pianist Jukka Nykänen.
May 2023: The voice and piano version of my piece Laguuni (Lagoon) was premiered in the Joensuu Conservatoire of music’s main hall in the May of 2023. The piece was performed by soprano Matilda Nikkinen and pianist Kemal Achourbekov.
2022:
On the 2nd of December, 2022: My 9-minute orchestra piece Medieval Adventure was premiered in Joensuu, by the Joensuu Conservatoire of Music’s Symphony orchestra. The orchestra consists of both vocational students studying for a degree in music, and children, some of which are taking their very first steps on the road of becoming a musician. The premiere was conducted by Sakari Tervo. Listen below for some snippets!
on the 25th of August.
On August 9, 2022: I conducted my own music for the first time, in the R-house of Sibelius Academy, as a part of my conducting exam. This helps me to better understand my music trough a conductor’s lens, and will definitely affect my future score-writing! Piece in question was “Laguuni” (Lagoon) for solo violin, strings and some light woodwinds. It was performed by the Sibelius Academy Conducting exam orchestra, with Ulriikka Heikinheimo as the soloist.
2020
On the 11th of October, 2020, My piece Trio for Flute, Guitar and Violoncello got its world premiere in The October of New Music -festival in Oulu (Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu). The piece was performed by Arctos Ensemble: Emma Tessier, flute; Riina Salminen, cello; Jarno Heikkilä, guitar.
2017
On February 21, 2017: My piece Maisemat (Scenery) for viola and piano, was premiered in Joensuu, as a part of Joensuu Music Winter festival (Joensuun musiikkitalvi). I took part in the performance, playing the piano part. The viola part was performed by Piritta Gröhn.
BTW: I also make game music! You can find some of my game stuff on my Soundcloud:
Composer Auri-Helena Nikkinen 