Jazz Finland Live
Artturi Rönkä/Daniel Sommer: Lost Threads,Musiikkitalon terassi, helsinki1.8. At 17:00
Artturi Rönkä/Daniel Sommer
Free entry
Finnish composer-pianist Artturi Rönkä and Danish drummer Daniel Sommer have worked together for ten years. The album Lost Threads (released in March 2025 by April Records) is their newest collaborative project, also featuring Swedish Thommy Andersson on bass. For this performance at Musiikkitalo, they are joined by Eero Tikkanen on bass.
The music of Lost Threads features short, sketch-like compositions that offer plenty of room for improvisation. The moods range from calm, chamber-music-inspired passages to jazz-tinged compositions and abstract soundscapes.
Artturi Rönkä, piano
Daniel Sommer, drums
Eero Tikkanen, double bass
Free concerts are held at Musiikkitalo's terrace on summer afternoons from Thursday to Saturday, from 29 May until 2 August, starting at 5 pm. The concerts feature talented musicians from the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, as well as other Finnish artists. Throughout the summer, the stage will host a diverse range of interesting artists from different genres: mainly pop music on Thursdays, jazz on Fridays. Additionally, the programme includes interesting performances from the fields of contemporary folk and classical music. The early summer Thursday afternoons are dedicated to the Radio Helsinki KESÄLIVE.
In case of rain, the concert will be held inside in the Musiikkitalo Restaurant.
Gigs on the same day in helsinki
Jazz-Espa: Aurora Hentunen QuintetEspan lava, helsinki1.8. At 13:30
Aurora Hentunen is a versatile pianist-composer, bringing her domestic jazz quintet to Jazz-Espa on Friday. Winner of the Jazz/Soul of the Year award at the 2025 Indie Awards, Hentunen's third album Little Further (Eclipse Music) blends acoustic and electronic soundscapes. The music on the album reflects recent events and the emotional state they have caused, a forced collective standstill and uncertainty about the future. However, the music gently encourages listeners to continue their journey and trust in tomorrow. Positive reviews describe Hentunen's music as fresh, surprising and unique. The album features bassist Linda May Han Oh, who has performed with e.g. Pat Metheny and Vijay Iyer. In addition to leading her own ensemble, Hentunen is known for her compositions for big bands and classical music ensembles, among others.
"As with the best albums, the artist's fresh album Little Further unfolds in layers, leaving enough space for the listener's own interpretations." -Indie Awards 2025 jury
Aurora Hentunen – piano, keyboards
Ukko Heinonen – tenor saxophone, effects
Joona Kilponen – trumpet
Veli-Matti Silanterä – bass
Vili Kallonen – drums
Photo: Anisa Xhomaqi
Jazz-Espa: Aki Rissanen & Mikko Innanen DuoEspan lava, helsinki1.8. At 16:00
Internationally recognized top musicians, pianist Aki Rissanen and saxophonist Mikko Innanen, are old friends who are now returning to the stage with a new duo repertoire and recording. The material recently created and rehearsed in residence in Western Uusimaa delves into fundamental questions of art and humanity, as well as trivial and insignificant little matters – described by the duo themselves. Stylistically, Rissanen and Innanen move simultaneously within the tradition of jazz and in some parallel reality of the future, where everything is allowed.
Aki Rissanen – piano
Mikko Innanen – saxophones
Jazz-Espa: Kalima–Lötjönen–OunaskariEspan lava, helsinki1.8. At 17:15
Kalima–Lötjönen–Ounaskari is a brand-new ensemble that brings together three leading figures of Finnish jazz: guitarist Kalle Kalima, who has built an international career in Central Europe; double bassist Antti Lötjönen, recipient of the 2024 Yrjö Award from the Finnish Jazz Federation; and drummer Markku Ounaskari, who has enjoyed a long and successful career on the international stage.
The program features compositions from Lötjönen’s and Kalima’s recent duo album Stings, Bites and Scratches, arranged for a trio, as well as entirely new material written specifically for this group. Audiences can expect an intense and nuanced concert experience, where improvisation and the musicians’ deep interplay take center stage.
Kalle Kalima – guitar
Antti Lötjönen – double bass
Markku Ounaskari – drums
Photos: Oliver Potratz, Tuomas Timonen, Dag Alveng
