Markku Luolajan-Mikkola
Markku Luolajan-Mikkola is a Finnish baroque cellist and viol player. Born in Helsinki, he studied cello with Arto Noras at the Sibelius Academy, where he received his diploma in 1983. Later, an interest in baroque music led him to summer courses wirh Laurence Dreyfus, and afterwards he went on to Royal Conservatory of The Hague where he studied viola da gamba with Wieland Kuijken and baroque cello with Jaap ter Linden, receiving postgraduate diplomas in viola da gamba and baroque cello in 1992.
He is a founding member of the celebrated Phantasm viol quartet[1] the Norwegian baroque ensemble Bergen Barokk and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra. His engagements include appearances in Europe, America and Asia. The Finnish Broadcast Company honored him as "Musical act of the year 2003" which was awarded after his "Gambaa!" recitals series of French baroque music, giving more than 50 recitals with different programs.[2] He has performed recitals with all Bach cello suites and has commissioned contemporary music for the bass viol, performing the premieres of all of them.
His more than 40 solo and chamber music recordings (stand out his solo parts of Marais, Forqueray and Couperin are available on the Alba, Avie, BIS, Linn, Simax, Channel Classics, Decca, GMN and Toccata Classics labels.
Gramophone Awards -of the year and editor's choice- (with Phantasm),[3] Emma Award [4] ("Finnish Grammy"), Diapason d'or, and Chod du Monde de la Musique, BBC Music Magazine, Rondo Magazine, Best Recordings of the Year-Helsingin Sanomat, MusicWeb International, are some of his awards.
He teaches baroque cello and viola da gamba at the Sibelius Academy, and is the artistic leader of the Finnish Baroque Orchestra and the Vantaa Music Festival. In 2002 he founded Lu-Mi Strings Ltd,[5] a company which produces fine hand made baroque instruments in Beijing. He is currently enjoying a 3 years artistic grant, considered one of the most important in his country.