 He later studied with Bob van Asperen, at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatoire, and with Pierre Hantaï in Paris.He also benefited from the guidance and encouragement of Gustav Leonhardt.Häkkinen won second prize and the VRT prize at the Bruges International Harpsichord Competition in 1998, as well as the Norddeutscher Rundfunk special prize Musikpreis 1997.