Updated 10th May, 2021 

Unfortunate news! Our online concert Portraits of Silence on Wednesday 12th May is cancelled and will be postponed. The new concert date will be published later. 

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UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, vocalist Mirja Mäkelä and Anna-Maria Helsing, who debuts as conductor of the orchestra, interpret Outi Tarkiainen’s compositions from the albums Unpainted Portraits and Into the Woodland Silence. The compositions combine the archaic of the North, the unpredictability of contemporary music, and the poetry that bring the listeners into the intimate atmosphere. The unique concert moves freely within the fields of jazz and contemporary music, framed by the strong solo performances of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra’s musicians.

The concert has been produced with exceptional methods in exceptional times: each section of the big band has recorded their own scores one at a time – according to the gathering restrictions of max 6 people – and the recording has been compiled and mixed afterwards. This is why the illustration is also exceptional: instead of a concert video, we will see some beautiful nature landscapes.

Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing (b. 1971) has conducted almost all of the major Nordic orchestras and she has also made an outstanding career in the international orchestra field. She has worked e.g. as the artistic director of Oulu Philharmonic and is appointed as a Principal Guest Conductor of BBC Concert Orchestra in London. www.annamariahelsing.com

Mirja Mäkelä (b. 1968) has long been at the forefront of Finnish jazz singers. She has created her own style as a jazz singer and composer. Mäkelä has led her own bands for over 20 years, sung as the soloist with several jazz musicians and jazz bands, and released three solo albums. www.mirjamakela.com

Outi Tarkiainen (b. 1985) is one of the most interesting composers of her generation. Tarkiainen has composed orchestral, vocal, chamber and solo music, works for orchestras and soloists, and music for jazz orchestras. In Tarkiainen’s compositions, classical music and the tradition of jazz live in innovative interaction. www.outitarkiainen.fi