Jazz Finland Live

Tickets €25/€23
All 9th-grade students from Äänekoski have free admission by presenting the K9 card.

Formed in 2017, the Aurora Hentunen Quintet has swiftly risen to the forefront of Nordic jazz music, becoming one of the most intriguing domestic jazz ensembles. The band, playing modern Finnish jazz, released its debut album, Second Spring, in the spring of 2018, followed by their second album, Frost, in August 2019.

In addition to pianist-composer Aurora Hentunen, the lineup includes trumpeter Joona Kilponen, bassist Veli-Matti Silanterä, and drummer Ville Luukkonen. Formerly a quartet, the band has added saxophonist Ukko Heinonen as a reinforcement. Heinonen had previously collaborated with the band on tracks and performances from their Frost album.

The ensemble actively performs throughout Europe and is currently expanding its activities into big band music. Hentunen has been commissioned to create works for ensembles such as the Lappeenranta Big Band and the Jyväskylä Big Band. The band regularly collaborates with other musicians, allowing room for new influences and tones in their music, constantly seeking new ways to arrange their old compositions and create something new.

In the music of Aurora Hentunen Quintet, the personalities of the musicians are heard as a rich and diverse whole. The mood moves from one story to another, from delicate northern melodies to deep and dark waves, from the chilling Lapland mountains to the bustling streets of Amsterdam. The new music also focuses on experiences brought about by the pandemic and wars, loneliness, and hope.

Concert duration approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes (including intermission).

Aurora Hentunen - piano, rhodes
Joona Kilponen - trumpet
Ukko Heinonen - tenor saxophone, effects
Mikael Saastamoinen - bass
Ville Luukkonen - drums