UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and Finland’s brightest jazz singer Aili Ikonen will tour together in October. The tour extends to concert halls in Kangasala, Kuopio, Kotka, Loviisa and Helsinki. The concerts are part of UMO’s Great Voices series, dedicated to stellar vocalists from Finland and abroad.

Aili Ikonen’s own compositions and her favorites from Björk, Sting and Joni Mitchell will get a new character in the brand new big band arrangements. The concert is conducted by UMO’s artistic director Ed Partyka.

– The songs we have selected deal with our northern nature and reflect different emotions; four seasons, different states of water, ripples of light. It is fascinating how diverse metaphors can be represented in music and lyrics. There will be great emotions, Aili Ikonen promises.

Aili Ikonen (b. 1982) is one of the best jazz singers in Finland. She is a sought-after soloist whose voice has been compared to both Laila Kinnunen and Ella Fitzgerald. Since 2018 she is also a member of the vocal group Rajaton. She has released three solo albums and several albums with different bands and orchestras. In addition to singing, Ikonen composes and writes lyrics. www.ailiikonen.fi

*Green option! With a carbon-neutral ticket (€ 41), you compensate for your carbon footprint caused by attending the concert. The carbon-neutral ticket includes a € 2 compensation fee, which UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra will pay in full for the protection of old forests and afforestation projects. Carbon-neutral ticket is not available at concerts in Kangasala and Loviisa. 

Aili’s photo: Heli Blåfield