Sonja Runje

Exciting engagements await Sonja Runje in the 2024/25 season, Sonja will stand out in the role of Erenice in the concert of Il Venceslao in Warsaw together with Max Emanuel Cencic and {oh!} Orkiestra conducted by Martyna Pastuzska. Furthermore, Sonja will interpret the role of Farnace in Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto in Lausanne, the title role in Griselda at the MusikTheatre an der Wien together with Max Emanuel Cencic and Wrocław Baroque Orchestra conducted by Banjamin Bayl, the title role of Cesare in Händel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto at the Oper Köln with Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne conducted by Rubén Dubrovsky. Moreover, Sonja will sing Händel’s oratorio The Triumph of Time and Truth at the Musiktheatre an der Wien, J. S. Bach St John Passion and Elias in Zagreb, a concert of Hrvatska Misa at the Prinzregententheater Munich.

Most recent engagements include the role of Egeo in Teseo at the Handel Festival Halle, and the role of Bradamante in Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso at Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival. As Erenice in Caldara’s Il Venceslao Sonja performed at the Tage der Alten Musik Herne and at the Eufomia Festival Warsaw, as Angelo di Giustizia in Galuppi’s Adamo at the MusikTheater an der Wien and at the Musiikkitalo Helsinki.

The versatile contralto frequently collaborates with esteemed conductors, including George Petrou, Christian Curnyn, Ruben Dubrovsky, Benjamin Bayl, Martyna Pastuszka, Francesco Corti and Aapo Häkkinen. Sonja Runje graduated with honors from the Academy of Music at the University of Zagreb, earning a master’s degree in opera singing under Martina Gojčeta Silić. She continues to refine her artistry through regular collaboration with Professor Eva Blahová in Bratislava.

Her contralto opera repertoire includes the title roles in G. F. Händel’s Amadigi, Giulio Cesare in Egitto and G. Bononcini’s Griselda, furthermore Orfeo in Ch. W. Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Disinganno in G. F. Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Cornelia and Tolomeo in G. F. Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Calipso in N. Porpora’s Polifemo, Bradamante and Alcina in A. Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso under the baton of Francesco Corti and Il Pomo d’Oro, Aacheloo in A. Steffani’s La lotta d’Ercole con Acheloo, Sorceress in H. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Erenice in A. Caldara’s Il Venceslao, Isabella L’Italiana in Algeri by G. Rossini, Sesto in W. A. Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Orlofsky Parnassus Arts Productions Georg Lang, Barnabitengasse 5/4, 1060 Wien, Austria M: + 43 (0)699 1188 2616, E: georg@parnassus.at in J. Straus’s Die Fledermaus, Smeraldina in S. Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, Frugola, Badessa and Zita in G. Puccini’s Il Trittico, Olga in P. I. Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Mércèdes in G. Bizet’s Carmen, Maddalena in G. Verdi’s Rigoletto,

Runje is a sought-after oratorio and concert singer. Previous performances include J. S. Bach’s oratorios B minor Mass (BWV 232), Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and cantatas Wiederstehe doch der Sünde (BWV 54), Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (BWV 11), Süßer Trost, mein Jesu kömmt (BWV 151), G. F. Handel’s Messiah, Dixit Dominus and Il dolce tempo, A. Vivaldi’s Gloria and Stabat Mater, G. B. Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, J. C. Bach’s Ach, dass ich Wassers gnug hätte, J. Haydn’s Nelson Mass, W. A. Mozart’s Requiem and Missa Brevis in B, F. Mendelssohn-Bartoldy’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Elijah, J. Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody, M. Duruflé’s Requiem, G. Rossini’s Le Petite messe solenelle, C. SaintSaëns Oratorio de Noël, G. Mahler’s Symphony No.2, L. van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, B. Papandopulos Croatian Mass, F. Schubert’s Winterreise, L. Brouwer’s Canciones Amatorias, M. de Falla’s Sietes canciones populares espanolas.

Aapo Häkkinen began his musical education as a chorister at Helsinki Cathedral. He took up the harpsichord at the age of thirteen, studying with Elina Mustonen and Olli Porthan (organ) at the Sibelius Academy. From 1995 to 1998 he studied with Bob van Asperen at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory and from 1996 to 2000 with Pierre Hantaï in Paris, and also enjoyed the generous guidance and encouragement of Gustav Leonhardt. Immediately after obtaining his diploma in 1998, he won second prize and the VRT prize at the Bruges Harpsichord Competition. He was also awarded the Norddeutscher Rundfunk special prize Musikpreis 1997 for his interpretations of Italian music.

Aapo Häkkinen has appeared as soloist and conductor in most European countries, in Turkey, Israel, Georgia, Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, the USA, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. He has recorded for the labels Aeolus, Alba, Avie, BelAir, Brilliant Classics, Cantus, Deux-Elles, Naxos, and Ondine. A frequent guest on both radio and television, he hosts his own programme on Classic FM in Finland. Besides the harpsichord, Aapo Häkkinen regularly performs on the organ, on the clavichord, and on the fortepiano. He teaches at the Sibelius Academy and at international masterclasses. He has been Artistic Director of the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra since 2003.

Croatian Baroque Ensemble is the most prominent Croatian ensemble specializing in historically informed interpretation of early music on original instruments and their replicas. The ensemble was founded in 1999 and consists of esteemed musicians from the younger generation – led by director of the ensemble, renowned violinist Laura Vadjon.
Along with a 20 years-long series of concerts at the Croatian Music Institute with the unique signature thematic programs, the ensemble is a regular guests at numerous national and international festivals such as Varaždin Baroque Evenings, Korkyra Baroque Festival, Zagreb Baroque Festival, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Split Summer Festival, St. Donat’s Festival in Zadar, Organum Histriae, Concerts at the Eufrazijana, Rovinj Summer Festival, Krk Summer Festival, International Baroque Festival in Melk, Music in old Cracow, Festival delle Nazioni-Citta di Castello, Festival Brezice, Festival of Croatian music in Vienna, Festival of Central European countries in Rome, Tesori Musicali Toscani in Pisa, Missiones de Chiquitos in Bolivia, Havana Baroque Festival in Cuba, Tartini Festival in Piran and other Festivals in Finland, France, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Argentina, Spain, Portugal….
In their concert programs, the ensemble features prominent international soloists, leaders and conductors; experts in performing of baroque and classical music. They have repeatedly work with Catherine Mackintosh, Herve Niquet, Werner Ehrhardt, Aapo Hakkinen, Laurence Cummings, Richard Egarr, Shalev Ad El, Peter Lonnerberg, Philip Pickett, Mimi Mitchell, David Staff, Theresa Caudle, Enrico Onofri, Alessandro Tampieri, Rachel Brown, Adrian Butterfield, Stefano Montanari, Marcello Gatti, Jaap ter Linden, Jacques Ogg, Andreas Helm…)
Due to their engaged, vivid, passionate and authentic interpretations, Croatian Baroque is considered one of the most interesting Croatian musical group, recognized by the musical critics and followed by wide audience.