In this concert, Severi Pyysalo and UMO Jazz Orchestra play mostly the soloist’s own compositions. The conductor of the concert is Kirmo Lintinen.

Vibrafonist Severi Pyysalo (b. 1967) made his final breakthrough in 1984 at the Pori Jazz Festival when singer Sarah Vaughan and saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera invited him to perform with them. Since then, Pyysalo has performed with various groups in Finland and abroad, including with Swedish bassist Anders Jormin and Danish pianist Thomas Clausen as well as with Finnish bands The Five Corners Quintet and Perko-Pyysalo Poppoo. Pyysalo was awarded the Yrjö prize in 1988 and in 1993 he was honoured as the European jazz soloist of the year and the Young artist of the year of the Pori Jazz Festival.

Aside his career in jazz, Pyysalo’s compositions have been played by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also composed music to Grimm’s fairy tales. Pyysalo has collaborated with UMO as a soloist, composer and arranger.