Mikko Perkola has studied music at the Päijät-Häme Conservatory, the Sibelius Academy and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. He has worked with Arvo Haasma, Markku Luolajan-Mikkola and Wieland Kuijken.

Perkola has performed and recorded as a chamber musician all over the world. His recordings of Bach’s viola da gamba sonatas (Naxos 2008) with Aapo Häkkinen, and Couperin’s viola da gamba sonatas (Naxos 2011) received rave reviews. Membership of the five-person gamba ensemble Phantasm has taken him to perform in concert halls from the Wigmore Hall to Hong Kong.

Perkola has no particular affinity with old music, working fluently with jazz musicians, dancers, visual artists and contemporary musicians alike. Perkola’s work and interests are strongly oriented towards new experimental art and social projects. Current projects include a trio with singer Aino Peltomaa and Dutch jazz pianist Harmen Fraanje and a collaboration with environmental artist Sandra Nyberg.

Solo performances, the Finnish National Theatre’s touring company and Lahti City Theatre’s duo projects with an actor have taken him to hundreds of social work units. Perkola has performed with dancer Nina Hyvärinen and actor Jussi Lehtonen in all Finnish reception centres. He has also performed in almost all Finnish prisons and done theatre with prisoners in several projects. His wide-ranging work includes collaborations with artists of many genres, making art through playing, composing, singing and reciting, from early music to multi-artistic projects.