HEHKU

Dedicated to commissioning contemporary pieces, as well as championing silenced voices from the historical repertoire, the full ensemble consists of conductor (Barrière), mezzo (Herresthal), violin(Isabelle Bania), viola (Michael Grolid), cello(Theodor Lyngstad), harp (Claire Moncharmont) and flute (Kaja Marie Andersen), but frequently performs in smaller settings as well.

Hehku’s first project was a music film centered around “Songs from Evening Land” by Per Nørgård, in honor of the composer’s 90th birthday, recorded with Millimeter Media in 2022. In addition to its digital presence, the film has been screened in Copenhagen Music House/Art Music DK, Gothenburg Concert House and Ultimafestivalen in Oslo.

Hehku has also commissioned and performed new pieces by composers such as Anna Berg, Aya Yoshida, Frederik Zeuthen and Nick Martin in themed programs combining them with earlier repertoire. In 2023, Hehku was ensemble in recidence at Copenhagen Music House.

Please visit our website for the latest updates: www.hehkuensemble.com

In 2021, Christina Herresthal and conductor Aliisa Neige Barrière founded the Nordic ensemble and Artist Collective Hehku. The name Hehku derives from Finnish and means "glow", "gleaming" and "aflame", which mirrors the purpose of the ensemble; creating musical experiences colored by spark, light and vitality.