A lot of my musical work and performance is done together with my colleagues from bands and projects. My colleagues are very important to me because together we share dreams, emotional moments and creativity. One of the best things in life is when I meet a musician and artist with whom I feel a special connection. Musical encounters like these can lead to extraordinary moments of energy for the musicians and the audience. I am lucky to play regularly with some very fine musicians and they are all a great inspiration for me in one or another way.

Welcome to read about my different bands and projects here:

“Johannes brought his own life in to his playing”

– Luke Kenny, Rolling Stone Magazine

With the hurdy-gurdy as his voice, Johannes has become known as a passionate musician and artist with a strong expression, who loves to meet and share his music with the audience. In his solo project Johannes invites the listener to a musical and personal storytelling about feelings and experiences. All the music is composed by Johannes, inspired by different genres and it includes the many colours of the modern hurdy-gurdy.

Cinematic hurdy-gurdy music from Sweden!

Johannes Geworkian Hellman: electro-acoustic hurdy-gurdy, voice

Symbio was named Best New Artist of the Year at the Swedish Folk & World Music Awards 2016 and the duo is regarded as one of the most interesting new bands from the Swedish Folk & World music scene. With their strong stage presence, and a magical combination of hurdy-gurdy and accordion, the duo surprises their audience and takes them on a moving and dreamy musical journey.

The music of Symbio has been described as original compositions where folk, minimalistic art music and electronic dance music meets and creates a cinematic experience for the listener. The duo has been touring intensively in Sweden and Europe since they released their debut album “Phoresy”, October 2016. Their second album “Rising” was released in October 2018.

Johannes Geworkian Hellman: hurdy-gurdy
LarsEmil Öjeberget: accordion, kickbox

Garizim is a colorful live experience taking the listener on musical journeys. With the unique line-up of hurdy-gurdy, saxophones and double bass the young Swedish trio creates a highly contemporary musical expression in the borderland of composition and improvisation where folk, indie and jazz meets.

Their second album “See The Birds Are Coming” was released in October 2015 and the group was nominated as the Best Newcomer of the Year at the Swedish Folk & Worldmusic Awards 2012.

Garizim consists of:

Elias Frigård: saxophones
Johannes Geworkian Hellman: hurdy-gurdy
Jordi Carrasco Hjelm: double bass

Two highly acclaimed young artists from the Nordic contemporary folkmusic scene join forces and invites the listener to a magical journey full of surprises. A musical meeting between Finnish kantele player and singer, Maija Kauhanen, and the Swedish hurdy-gurdy player Johannes Geworkian Hellman.

With virtuosity and a very strong musical connection the duo creates a world of sounds that you have never experienced before. Maija and Johannes make ancient instruments come alive when creating new music that touches the listener. The music is archaic and progressive and has influences from many genres. From the very small and sensitive sounds to the most powerful ones, this duo plays directly from their hearts to the audience.

Maija Kauhanen: kantele, voice
Johannes Geworkian Hellman: hurdy-gurdy

With their roots in Nordic traditional music the Swedish duo Blankan creates a unique soundscape of archaic sounds and modern technology. Lyrical melodies and meditative drones meet blues riffs and trance grooves. The sound machinery is made up of hurdy-gurdy, folk flutes and Nordic mandola – all extended with live-looping and electronics.

Johannes Geworkian Hellman: hurdy-gurdy, Swedish bagpipe & looping
Kim Persson: folk flutes, nordic mandola & contrabass recorder