The old copper mine provides a rustic setting for the new jazz event.
Over a hundred years ago, the discovery of copper ore gave rise to a mining community in the eastern Kuusjärvi parish, which eventually evolved into the city of Outokumpu. Although the publicly traded company bearing the same name no longer operates from Outokumpu, it left behind a significant legacy in the area. This includes, in addition to a thousand industrial jobs and a thriving service structure, the area of the Old Mine established especially in the late 1920s. The buildings in the area were also designed by Wäinö Gustaf Palmqvist, who also designed the Helsinki Cable Factory, and like the Cable Factory, they currently serve primarily the needs of culture and tourism.
Music, theater, and various events have been held at the Old Mine for decades, but this spring, jazz will roll into the mine for the first time in the form of a full-fledged festival.
"We have hosted individual jazz concerts here before, and inspired by the positive experiences, we decided to put together a slightly broader offering, which hopefully will attract listeners to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the Old Mine even from further away," says the city's cultural producer Esko Vihava.
"The musicians who have visited here have been so inspired by the rough aesthetics of the premises and the juicy acoustics that I believe the same unique resonance will be transmitted to the listeners' hearts. Or not just believe, but based on the concerts held so far, I know," Vihava smiles.
In this year's event, the main concert venue is the 220-seat Teatteri Kiisu, but performances will also be heard at Jauhimo, located on the strange hilltop, and in the immense Kiisu Hall adjacent to Teatteri Kiisu, whose seven-second reverberation adds its own experiential dimension to the concert.
Program from young virtuosos to old masters
The two-day event kicks off on May 10th with Prog Friday, featuring 5th Season, led by Tapio Ylinen, and Markus Venehsalo & Mavon Safia, perhaps delivering slightly more modern, truly virtuosic guitar instrumentation.
Saturday, May 11th opens with two free admission concerts: Tektonik, presented by Anna-Sofia Anttonen and Tuukka Tervo at Kiisu Hall, and Janne Maarala's piano concert at Teatteri Kiisu. This is followed by PLOP & Junnu, featuring the younger generation's Mikko Innanen and Ville Herrala, along with master wind player Junnu Aaltonen and drummer legend Reiska Laine, who is substituting for Joonas Riippa. Panu Savolainen's vibraphone solo concert will be heard acoustically on the hilltop at Jauhimo, and Saturday night will be concluded with Astro Can Caravan, a nine-member band starting their fifth album release tour in a spectacular fashion, spiced up with The Astropreacher Markku Salo's recitation.
The entire festival program can be found at www.outojazz.fi.
Panu Savolainen © Photo Ville Paasimaa