Organists and Other Performers of Lahti Organ Festival 2026
Opening concert: Waltteri Torikka
Waltteri Torikka – baritoni
Baritone Waltteri Torikka has established himself as one of Finland’s most sought-after opera and concert singers. Known for his wide-ranging repertoire and versatility, Torikka feels equally at home in concert halls and on the opera stage.
Torikka graduated in 2012 from the vocal music department of the Sibelius Academy and from the Royal Danish Opera Academy. He has received numerous awards, including the HSBC Laureates Prize at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2009, the Martti Talvela Prize in 2013, and the Young Musician of the Year Award from the Pro Musica Foundation in 2014. Torikka won the men’s division of the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in 2010.
Torikka has appeared regularly as a soloist with Finnish symphony orchestras and toured with Den Jyske Opera alongside several Danish orchestras. He made his debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the title role of Kullervo Symphonyat the BBC Proms in 2015.
Torikka’s debut album, Sydän with Jyväskylä Sinfonia, broke boundaries, became one of Finland’s best-selling albums of 2015, and earned an Emma Awards nomination. His latest recording, Songs by Oskar Merikanto (Ondine), received critical acclaim and an Indie Awards 2025 nomination.
Torikka’s opera roles include the title roles in Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, and The Marriage of Figaro, as well as Papageno in The Magic Flute, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Danilo in The Merry Widow, Amfortas in Parsifal, Escamillo and Morales in Carmen, Scarpia in Tosca, Ping in Turandot, and Marcello and Schaunard in La Bohème. Torikka has also served as an artistic director and premiered several new compositions and operatic roles, including the title roles in Mannerheim and Sillanpää.
In 2026, Torikka will appear as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and perform at numerous classical music festivals, as well as appear as a soloist with Kymi Sinfonietta.
Photo: Jussi Manni
More info waltteritorikka.com
Marko Hilpo – piano
Marko Hilpo is one of Finland’s most versatile pianists, also working as a conductor and music arranger.
Hilpo studied at the Sibelius Academy under Hamsa Al-Wadi Juris and Ilmo Ranta, as well as at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid with Professors Dmitri Bashkirov and Claudio Martinez Mehner. An award-winning performer in international competitions, Hilpo has appeared worldwide as a recital soloist, lied pianist, and chamber musician. In addition, he has performed as a soloist with several Finnish orchestras and appeared at international music festivals.
Hilpo works at the University of the Arts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy and the Theatre Academy Helsinki, as well as at the Helsinki City Theatre, where he has served as conductor for several musicals, including Billy Elliot, Myrskyluodon Maija, Kinky Boots, and The Little Mermaid.
Hilpo has arranged and orchestrated numerous orchestral and chamber music works, as well as music for theatre productions. He is equally at home in both classical and popular music.
Johanna Torikka graduated with a Master of Music degree from the church music department of the Sibelius Academy in 1990. She completed her organ studies and A diploma under the guidance of Kari Jussila. Torikka gave her debut concert at Helsinki Cathedral in 1991. She has furthered her studies in several masterclasses with teachers including Guy Bovet, Harald Vogel, and Zsigmond Szathmáry.
Torikka has performed extensively as an organist and accompanist throughout Finland and has also given solo concerts in Estonia, Belgium, and Switzerland. She has appeared as a soloist with the Pori Sinfonietta and Kamariorkesteri Soli Deo Gloria, and has worked as assistant organist in concerts with Sinfonia Lahti and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.
Already during her student years, in 1989, Torikka achieved notable competition success by winning second prize at the Lahti International Organ Competition (with no first prize awarded that year).
Johanna Torikka served as cantor of the Pitäjänmäki Parish in Helsinki from 1990 to 2000, as organist of Church of the Cross from 2000 to 2007, and since 2007 has held the position of A cantor in the Salpausselkä Parish in Lahti.
Photo: Heiner Zumbrunn
Scott Brothers
SCOTT BROTHERS DUO
Jonathan Scott ORGAN
Tom Scott PIANO
Brothers Jonathan and Tom perform internationally in instrumental combinations which cover the entire keyboard spectrum. Their online performance videos on the Scott Brothers Duo YouTube channel have achieved more than 100 million views making them some of the most watched in the world.
Recent and forthcoming performances include performances at the major festivals and concert halls in the UK and worldwide, including Armenia, Germany, Denmark, France, Hungary, Norway, Italy, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Latvia, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore.
Born in Manchester, Jonathan and Tom both studied at Chetham’s School of Music.
Tom read Music on the joint course at The University of Manchester, gained the Sir Thomas Beecham Medal for Excellence in his degree, and achieved a distinction in his Masters degree. He made his concerto debut with the Hallé Orchestra, aged 17. Tom is also a keen artist and animator, and creates animations to accompany live classical concerts which have been performed worldwide. As a composer, Tom’s work ranges from instrumental to acousmatic compositions and audio/visual works. He completed his PhD in electroacoustic composition at The University Of Manchester (supported by AHRC funding).
Jonathan continued his studies in USA and Holland, won the coveted Worshipful Company of Musicians WT Best Scholarship and gold medal, is a Freeman of The City of
London and Associate Artist of The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. Recent concert highlights include the reopening concerts at the organs of Rochdale Town Hall, UK, St Mary’s Basilica, Kevelaer, Germany and All Saints Church, Warsaw, Poland, as well as solo organ concerts at York Minster, Lyon Concert Hall, France, Rheingau Festival, Germany, and BBC Proms, broadcast live from the organ of the Royal Albert Hall, London.
For more information please visit www.scottbrothersduo.com
INSTAGRAM: @scottbrothersduo
FACEBOOK: @scottbrothersduo
X: @ScottBrosDuo