Musiikkitalo, Black Box,Musiikkitalo, Black Box,
Sparkling September Club! The focal point of the evening is the saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor Ville Vannemaa, newly appointed chief conductor of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. The programme is planned and conducted by Vannemaa, with the boundary-breaking guitar virtuoso Timo Kämäräinen as guest soloist. For this evening, Vannemaa has curated a narrative programme during which UMO with guests present their best. Be prepared for great contrasts, surprising twists and captivating musical dialogue. When UMO’s tight swing meets Kämäräinen’s electric guitarism, the result is an evening that leaves no one cold!
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.
Timo Kämäräinen (b. 1979) is one of Finland’s most respected and versatile guitarists. He is known for his distinctive sound, masterly technique, and ability to move effortlessly between jazz, rock, and experimental music. Kämäräinen has released six guitar-driven instrumental albums, the latest of which, Laulu pelastaa, was released in 2025. To the wider public, Kämäräinen is a familiar face as the go-to guitarist for major Finnish artists like Olavi Uusivirta and Ismo Alanko, as well as from the popular TV show Elämäni biisi. Beyond his work as a performer, he is an active producer, arranger, and composer, working across a wide range of projects from large orchestras to theatre and film. www.timokamarainen.com
Ville Vannemaa (b. 1983) is one of Finland’s most sought-after big band conductors and freelance saxophonists. He has long been a guest conductor of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, the Espoo Big Band and the Oulu All-Star Big Band as well as the artistic director of the Turku Jazz Orchestra from 2022 to 2024. Vannemaa studied saxophone and arranging at the jazz department of the Sibelius Academy, and he has extensive experience working with big bands, not only as a conductor but also as a composer, arranger and orchestra musician. Vannemaa’s long experience as a teacher as well as his strong understanding of different musical genres, especially jazz, have strengthened his reputation as an excellent big band rehearser. He works as UMO’s chief conductor 2026–2029.
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