The singer-composer Selma Savolainen has been aptly described as “Saima Harmaja for millennials”. Her music combines profound lyrics with intense jazz. In this programme, the new big band arrangements of Savolainen’s award-winning album Horror Vacui, as well as works composed especially for this concert, bring Savolainen’s voice into the sound of the large orchestra. The programme will also feature material from Savolainen’s much-anticipated album to be released during spring 2026, combining the roughness of 1990s British punk with Brazilian rhythms. This is Savolainen’s debut as soloist with the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. The conductor is Mikko Hassinen.
Please note: The venue is configured as a club, meaning that most of the venue is standing room. In addition, there is a very limited number of unnumbered seats in the hall.
The duration is about 75 minutes, without interval. No age limit.
In addition to concert-specific tickets, you can also buy a serial ticket covering the three club evenings of the autumn season.
Single tickets
General ticket 44 €
Pensioners 36 €
Students, Children, Unemployed, Military Personnel 20 €
The ticket price includes the cloakroom fee.
Serial ticket for three clubs
General ticket 117 € (ordinary 132 €)
Pensioners 96 € (ordinary 108 €)
Students, Children, Unemployed, Military Personnel 51 € (ordinary 60 €)
The ticket price includes the cloakroom fee for all three concerts.
Tickets are sold in the Music Centre online store and telephone service, as well as at the ticket sales customer service point during opening hours. Telephone service (tel. 0600 411 101, call price €0.99/min + local network charge/mobile network charge) is open on weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm. The ticket office at the Helsinki Music Centre is open on weekdays from 1 pm to 6 pm and for one hour before the concert. The online store is open 24 hours a day at www.musiikkitalo.fi.
Selma Savolainen (b. 1993) is one of the most luminous Finnish jazz vocalists, composers, and bandleaders of her generation. She is renowned for her exceptional ability to blend modern jazz traditions and virtuosic improvisation across genres, ranging from experimental indie hybrids to contemporary classical music. Savolainen’s compositions echo both Nordic melancholy and the vibrant influences of the New York jazz scene. Her acclaimed debut album, Horror Vacui (Whirlwind Recordings, 2023), propelled her to the centre of the Finnish jazz scene and earned her the prestigious Jazz-Emma award. In addition to her own quintet and the vocal ensemble Signe, Savolainen is known for her versatile collaborations at the intersection of various musical styles. Her live performances have received widespread critical acclaim. www.selmasavolainen.com
UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra: great achievements and mastery in jazz since 1975! Throughout the decades, UMO has been at the forefront of Finnish jazz. This multi-award-winning ensemble – recipient of the Yrjö and Emma awards and a Grammy nominee – has shared the stage with international jazz legends as well as the brightest stars of the Finnish music scene. With a distinguished discography of over 60 albums, Helsinki’s own “jazz city orchestra” performs across Finland, reaching 35,000 listeners through more than 100 concerts annually. At the heart of UMO is a commitment to new music. The orchestra’s versatile repertoire fearlessly pushes boundaries, from jazz and soulful grooves to classical fusion. www.umohelsinki.fi
Helsinki Music Centre is a concert and event venue in the centre of Helsinki that’s open to all. Every year, we host more than 1,000 events from classical, jazz and folk music concerts to corporate gatherings and private celebrations. More than half of all our public events are offered free of cost, as we want culture to be accessible to all. The Music Centre building also remains open to visitors outside of performance hours. Why not pop in for a cup of coffee, to check out our brilliant array of art exhibitions and our fantastic resident artworks or even just to take a look – the architecture itself is worth a visit. The resident organisations at the Music Centre are the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the University of the Arts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy. www.musiikkitalo.fi
Photo: Severi Uusitalo