HPO launches Emerging Artists Programme
Beginning in autumn 2027, the HPO Emerging Artists Programme aims to build lasting artistic relationships in which young artists can grow as part of a professional orchestra community, receive mentorship, and participate in the orchestra's artistic activities both on and beyond the concert stage.
The collaboration with violinist Lilja Haatainen (b. 2011) will take the form of a multi-season artistic partnership. During this period, she will appear as a soloist with the orchestra and perform chamber music together with HPO musicians.
“I am truly happy and grateful for the opportunity to join the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra as their Young Artist for the next three seasons, and to develop as a musician and artist in such excellent company! I look forward to my upcoming solo concerto appearances and to playing chamber music with the magnificent Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra!” says Haatainen.
For conductor and pianist Maximilian Fagerlund (b. 2006), the HPO Emerging Artists Programme will provide opportunities to broaden his conducting experience, work with the orchestra on a variety of projects, and benefit from mentorship at an important stage of his artistic development.
“I am deeply honored by this wonderful opportunity. It was a privilege to conduct this fantastic orchestra last December, and I look forward to continuing to work and grow alongside the musicians, the management and Jukka-Pekka”, says Fagerlund.
Chief Conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste will play a central role in mentoring Fagerlund. The aim is to support the young conductor's artistic development while passing on the experience and traditions of professional orchestral music-making to a new generation.
The idea for the programme emerged from the observations of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra's musicians and artistic leadership, and from a shared desire to build a deeper-than-usual relationship with two exceptional young artists.
“As the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra approaches its 150th anniversary, we are committed to preserving our rich artistic heritage while actively helping to shape the future of classical music. At the heart of the HPO Emerging Artists Programme is the opportunity to support a new generation of artists at a stage when we can genuinely contribute to their artistic development,” says Jari Eskola, Managing Director of the orchestra.
For audiences, the HPO Emerging Artists Programme offers the opportunity to follow the artistic growth of two young musicians over several seasons. In addition to orchestral concerts, the programme will include chamber music performances, audience engagement activities and new ways of experiencing orchestral music, particularly from the perspective of younger audiences.
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Lilja Haatainen
Lilja Haatainen is rapidly establishing herself as one of the most compelling young violinists of her generation, admired for her musical maturity, captivating stage presence and expressive sound. Despite her young age, she is building an international profile through performances with leading orchestras, festivals and collaborators across Europe.
The 2026/27 season includes debuts with the Antwerp and Munich Symphony Orchestras and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, working with Osmo Vänskä, Ross Jamie Collins and Kasmir Uusitupa. She also appears in recital at the Verbier Festival at Schloss Elmau. She has appeared with the Finnish Radio, Lahti and Oulu Symphony Orchestras, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Finnish Chamber Orchestra and the Jena Philharmonic, collaborating with conductors including Nicholas Collon, Rumon Gamba, Dalia Stasevska and Kristian Sallinen. Recent highlights include her debut with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Manfred Honeck, appearance at the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht at the invitation of Janine Jansen, the opening concert of the Sion Festival, and a concert with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Mikkeli Festival.
Born in 2011, Lilja began her violin studies at the age of three. She studies with Janne Malmivaara at the Finnish Violin Academy and is supported by the Stretton Society, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Pro Musica and the Wihuri Foundation. She performs on an 18th-century Italian violin loaned by a member of the Stretton Society.
www.harrisonparrott.com/artists/lilja-haatainen
Maximilian Fagerlund
Born in 2006, conductor and pianist Maximilian Fagerlund first conducted the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in a Finnish Music Day concert in December 2025. During the 2026–2027 season he will conduct Jyväskylä Sinfonia, Seinäjoki City Orchestra and Kymi Sinfonietta, among others. In January 2027, he will conduct the world premiere of composer Ida Moberg’s (1859–1947) opera Asiens ljus at the Alexander Theatre in Helsinki.
Fagerlund won First Prize in the inaugural Jorma Panula Minikapu Conducting Competition in 2024. He studies orchestral conducting with Jorma Panula and at the Sibelius Academy under Susanna Mälkki.
As a pianist, Fagerlund won the Leevi Madetoja Piano Competition in 2025. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including Oulu Sinfonia and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, and has received guidance from Ralf Gothóni, Matti Raekallio and Sir András Schiff.