News -page consists of current topics and interesting articles about jazz in Finland.
Korpo Sea Jazz and Åland Sea Jazz have been rescheduled to summer 2021. Health, safety and responsibility are at the forefront of the organizing efforts when it comes to Archipelago Sea Jazz. The organization is actively following government guidelines and adhere to rules and regulations that have been set in conjunction with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
When I participated in my first Europe Jazz Network conference in Istanbul in 2005, the network had 52 member organisations and it was easy to fit everyone into the family portrait. Since then, EJN has been steadily growing and in our board meeting this March it was noted that there are now 164 members.
The first Odysseus Festival organised by We Jazz at the island of Lonna outside Helsinki will be postponed into 2021 due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. The new event dates are 24.-25. July 2021.
The next Oulu Music Festival will be held 14–28 March 2021, after which violinist Elina Vähälä and saxophonist Jukka Perko will start as the new artistic directors of the festival. For the first time in its history, the festival moves to a model of two artistic directors. Vähälä and Perko share the responsibility of artistic planning of the festival and in addition Perko will be responsible for planning the year-round Jazz & Etno Concert Series. Jaakko Kuusisto, who is currently the artistic director of the festival, started in 2013.
Flame Jazz concert series will make a comeback in May–June in the form of home delivered live concerts and live streaming. Audiences can enjoy performances from Finnish jazz stars by either ordering a live concert to one's doorstep or watching a stream from Logomo.
The free of charge Fame - Genelec LIVE online concert series will begin Friday 8th May 2020. Iltasanomat and ISTV will stream the concerts live from Music Museum Fame, situated in Tripla. The concert series will include the performance of Kalevi Louhivuori and Lenni-Kalle Taipale.
The organizing association Rajatsi ry has decided to cancel the summer 2020 festival. The festival organizers believe that in the present situation it won’t be possible to run the festival in a safe and meaningful way.
A group formed by 18 Finnish top musicians grew tired of having their concerts cancelled during the corona pandemic and recorded a joint quarantine video remotely. Released on Friday 24th April, the video features several saxophonists, trumpeters, trombonists and other musicians as well as dancers. The new group is called Quarantine Big Band.fa
Ministry of Education and Culture is granting additional subsidies for cultural sector associations and operatives during the COVID-19 crisis. The subsidies are directed i.a. at national art institutions, cultural associations and professionals, museums, orchestras and theaters as well as operatives in the film industry. Deadline for the ministry subsidies is 14th May 2020.
To celebrate the International Jazz Day, Finnish Air Force Big Band releases a video on 30th April at 5pm together with six other military big bands. The song that is performed is "I'll Be Seeing You" by Glenn Miller, which was released for the first time during the second world war to bring hope of re-uniting the groups from the battle field.
