Markku Lepistö & Mikko Helenius

Markku Lepistö & Mikko Helenius are Finnish all-star musicians with skills in blending various music styles. Lepistö is one of the best-known proponents of new Finnish and Nordic folk accordion music, while Helenius is highly respected as a concert and church music organist, as well as a talented bandoneon player. Markku and Mikko embarked on their project with accordion and organ in 2016, coinciding with Markku completing his doctoral degree in music.

“When you combine accordion and organ, the result could be dreadful. But now it’s amazing!” remarked one of the leading classical music critics, Veijo Murtomäki, about the duo’s debut album “Bellows and Pipes” in the Finnish main newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat. Since then, their album has received several other favorable reviews in Finland and Europe.

The duo’s repertoire includes both traditional and contemporary folk music played with diatonic accordion and church organ. Their music can be described as a fusion of Nordic folk and classical music with hints of jazz. Their musical prowess enriches the acoustic sound, rendering it rich and warm, while their compositions are imbued with joy, grace, sorrow, and hope.