Jazz Finland Live

Ilmavoimien Big Band goes Stravinsky

Conductor: Elias Seppälä

Soloist: Pekka Ahonen, clarinet

Tickets: 15/10 €. Available at the door one hour before showtime.

Age limit 18.

Ilmavoimien Big Band (The Finnish Air Force Big Band) plays Stravinsky! In Aalto III – Ilmavoimien Big Band goes Stravinsky concert the big band interprets Igor Stravinsky’s Ebony Concerto and a selection of modern Finnish big band music by Sampo Haapamäki, Kari Heinilä, Kari Ikonen, Kirmo Lintinen, Jukka Tiensuu and Olli Virtaperko.

What all these composers have in common is an open-mindedness, abandoning of generic pigeonholes and a conscious effort of nearing jazz with contemporary music. Thus, the best of jazz and best of contemporary classical music come together in the concert.

The headlining piece is Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky’s (1882-1971) Ebony Concerto for clarinet and big band. Ebony Concerto was composed in 1945 for Woody Herman’s orchestra, and the piece represents Stravinsky's, who is perhaps most associated with high-brow classical music, fling with jazz. Despite being typically Stravinskyan in the rhythm and the harmony, influences of jazz, melancholic blues vibes and a robust 1940s big band swing play a significant role in the piece. Pekka Ahonen, clarinet player and senior lecturer in woodwind instruments at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, features as a soloist for Ilmavoimien Big Band.

Due to the reform of the Finnish Defence Forces, only six military bands remain active as of the beginning of 2014. One of these is the Ilmavoimien Big Band in Tikkakoski, specialised in jazz, big band and popular music. As the director and senior composer acts Major Tomi Väisänen. Responsible for the activity of all Finnish military bands is lieutenant colonel Elias Seppälä, who appears as conductor for Ilmavoimien Big Band for the first time in this concert.

Light contemporary classical or serious jazz? You are welcome to come and hear for yourself.

Interviews:

The conductor, the head of the Finnish Defence Forces' bands and the soloists are available for interviews on Thu 25 Sep 2014 at 9.30AM-2.00PM.

Ilmavoimien soittokunta, Immolantie 10, 41160 Tikkakoski

Contact:

Senior conductor Elias Seppälä puh. 0299 500 702

Head of the Defence Forces' bands Tomi Väisänen puh. 0299 258　500

Publicist Merja Kokko puh. 0299 258　505