Porvoo Jazz Festival collaborates with UMO for the first time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of UMON. Drummer Jaska Lukkarinen, former Artistic Director of the Porvoo Jazz Festival and a first-time visitor to UMO in 2003, will take the spotlight at this concert. For Lukkarinen, who is completing his doctorate at the Sibelius Academy of Music, the concert with the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra is the final artistic part of his degree.Lukkarinen, who studies different ways of accompanying a jazz trumpet, will focus on the term solo accompaniment. He will look for ways to bring the drums into the overall timbre of the big band and combine the surprise and dynamic extremes of small ensemble playing with big band accompaniment. The music is composed by Mikko Hassinen, who will also be conducting the concert. Above all, it will be good big band jazz – not academic research with a smell of sheet music. Jaska Lukkarinen (b. 1982) is a versatile and sought-after jazz drummer, active pedagogue and composer who runs his own Jaskaa label. Lukkarinen has released several albums with his own ensembles, most recently One For Joe (2023), and has played on over 100 albums, leaving his own mark on the Finnish jazz scene. Lukkarinen has received several awards during his career, including the Sony Jazz and Pori Jazz Artist of the Year awards.
UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra–The Greatest Feats since 1975. Get ready to groove as we mark 50years of achievements and masteryin jazz! UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary season from summer 2025 to spring 2026. Throughout these decades, the orchestra has been at the forefront of Finnish jazz. Over the years, UMO has recorded over 60 albums, received Yrjö and Emma prizes, and even a Grammy nomination. The orchestra has shared thes tage with international jazz stars as well as Finnish artists. One thing remains constant: the core of UMO is in new music. Join us for our anniversary season to look back on the past and celebrate our achievements, all while keeping our eyes firmly on the exciting future ahead. Come and celebrate together with the UMO!
Photos: Olli Nurmi (UMO), Antti Rintala (Jaska Lukkarinen)