In the autumn season of 2017, UMO, the Savoy Theatre and the restaurant Presto continue the widely popular tradition of their co-produced lunch concerts. In these four concerts, UMO and Finnish soloists offer new perspectives to big band music, for example by performing with an accordionist and a vibraphonist – instruments rarely played by soloists of big bands.

The first lunch concert of the season is the first public performance of Thum Bop, a concerto for accordion and big band by Veli Kujala. The soloist is Kujala himself, and the conductor is Kirmo Lintinen. According to the composer, he was inspired by the parody sci-fi movie of Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And like the guidebook of the movie, the piece is a kind of standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom.

Veli Kujala (b. 1976) has been awarded in many international competitions of accordion playing and composition. He received his PhD in Music in Sibelius Academy on 2010. As a composer, Kujala finished second in the London Accordion Festival’s competition for composers in 2001 and won the audience award of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra competition for composers in 2003. In addition to various Finnish festivals, his music has been performed in New York, Tokyo, Paris and Berlin. Kujala has performed as a soloist with Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Dutch ensemble Insomnio. He is also an active performer in jazz and other styles of improvised music, and some of his more notable ensembles have been Kalle Kalima K-18, Pekka Pohjola Acoustic Band and Gourmet. He is also a founding member of the group Pipoka, alongside guitarist Jarmo Julkunen. Nowadays, Pipoka performs as a trio. In 2016, Alba Records published the band’s first recording consisting solely of Kujala’s own compositions, called Hyperorganism.

The Sibelius Fund of the Society of Finnish Composers appropriated UMO a grant for commissioning this composition. These Successors of Sibelius grants were awarded to the member orchestras of the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras for commissioning a composition from a member of the Society of Finnish Composers. All these new pieces of music will be premièred during the centenary year of independent Finland, 2017.

The concert is played at Savoy Theatre 12–1 p.m. and is free of charge. It is possible to book a ticket for free from the outlets of City of Helsinki Cultural office (Savoy Theatre, Vuotalo, Malmitalo, Stoa or Kanneltalo) or for a fee of €1 from Lippupiste. Lunch is served next door at restaurant Presto before and after the concert (from €10.30). The meal is not compulsory, so you can just walk in and enjoy the concert.

Production: UMO Jazz Orchestra, Savoy Theatre, and restaurant Presto.