Markku Luolajan-Mikkola - Topic

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 with 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 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. He has performed recitals with all Bach cello suites and is one of the pioneers commissioning contemporary music for the bass and treble viols.