Since 2010 Haapoja has captured the sonic image of Helsinki in his project Helsingin reitit – The Routes of Helsinki. The latest piece of the series ’Keskusmetsä’ (The Central Forest) represented Finland in EBU's Prix Palma Ars Acustica competition in 2023. Haapoja's media & sound art has been presented in many galleries and events in Helsinki and internationally for example in Berlin, New York and Tokyo. Meanwhile, Haapoja has recorded many acclaimed global music albums like Okra Playground's Turmio, Nathan Riki Thomson's Resonance and Sarah Palu's Etno-Emma 2021 nominated Ikivirta. News
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In April 2025, Mikko H. Haapoja had first-ever Finnish soundscape art solo exhibitions in Japan, in Tokyo and Hanno, as a selected artist of the Finnish Institutes' pARTir initiative. In addition, Haapoja brought Finnish bowed lyres first time to the World Expos, having solo concerts in Osaka EXPO2025 during his Unheard Landscapes tour in Japan.
Unheard Landcsapes album is released and starts at #16 on WMCE charts. Available on streaming platforms, CD and LP.
Haapoja's soundscape composition Helsingin reitit - Keskusmetsä (The Central Forest) was representing Finland at EBU's Prix Palma Ars Acustica competition in 2023. Listen to the interview (in Finnish) about the piece and the Helsingin reitit - The Routes of Helsinki project.
productions / music / sound art / media art
Currently Haapoja doing various music & media art productions and composing new music for his own projects Unheard Landscapes, Uni uni and haapoja & illmari. Alongside music productions, Haapoja does also sound design for film, performing arts and gallery and museum installations. Haapoja has recorded various acclaimed global music albums – with his multichannel field recording gear even out of reach of the power grid.
Haapoja's musical background is in the new wave folk music. However, Haapoja has graduated from the Centre for Music & Technology, Sibelius Academy, and studied music with wide perspective from classical and jazz theory to contemporary music composing. In 2013 Haapoja founded the alternative hiphop collective haapoja & illmari. The collective combines electroacoustic folk and pop music, rap and urban sound art together.
During 2019-2022 Haapoja composed the music and collected soundscapes for his first solo album Unheard Landscapes, where Haapoja's global field recrodings meet electronic new wave folk music. Haapoja's main instrument is jouhikko, the Savo-Karelian bowed lyre.
Unheard Landscapes debut album's music was made also for Contemporary Circus Performance Fragile, premiered in September 2022 in Culture Centre Caisa, Helsinki. Currently Haapoja is composing music for new contemporary circus pieces and his next solo album. See the first teaser of the upcoming piece Unleashed. (Photo and the trailer by Aleksi Hakala)
productions / music / sound art / media art
Haapoja's artistic work is a mixture of music & soundscape composing and video art. Helsingin reitit – The Routes of Helsinki is Haapoja's long term art project, which focuses on soundscapes in the boundaries between nature and the city. Haapoja's sound art piece Luotisuora - Beeline is a part of the permanent exhibition in the new Helsinki City Museum. In November 2016 the piece was installed first time in Manhattan, New York. In September 2019, all The Routes of Helsinki works were exhibited at the Sound Art Gallery Akusmata, Helsinki. Finnish national broadcasting company YLE premiered the 2010-2020 soundscape collage of The Routes of Helsinki in May 2020.
In 2021, various Haapoja's new soundscape works were presented around Finland: in EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Retretti Punkaharju Art Cave and Tytyri Lohja, in Kalevan Navetta, Seinäjoki and also in Helsinki City Museum's inner yards alongside museum's permanent exhibition. In 2025, Haapoja got first-ever Finnish soundscape art solo exhibitions to Japan. The Routes of Helsinki 15th anniversary exhibitions were installed at Gallery TEN, Yanaka, Tokyo and Metsä Village, Hanno, Saitama during whole April 2025. During his pARTir project month in Japan, Haapoja released also the first compilation album of his Helsinki soundscapes – Helsinki Soundtrack.
Keitaat / Oases, created with Amanda Kauranne, is a series of audio-visual installations about Nordic nature. In 2022, Keitaat / Oases installations took place in Theaterhaus Berlin Mitte (May) and Kaustinen fmf (July) - after Haapoja & Kauranne with visual artist Kira Leskinen and dance artist Gesa Piper had captured and created their latest piece for the series in the Faroe Islands.