for big band

Between 1994 and 2002 I held a teaching position at the Central Ostrobothnian conservatory in Kokkola in northern Finland.

Part of my job was to conduct the school’s excellent big band.
Before that I had composed mainly for the small ensembles I played in myself, but while conducting I got acquainted with some great traditional and modern big band scores. The orchestration techniques of Finnish composer Jukka Linkola and American composers Maria Schneider and Thad Jones intrigued me most.

Eventually I started writing scores, at first orchestrating some of my small band pieces. Then in 2001, I received a grant from the Finnish cultural fund which allowed me to take some time off from work and concentrate on composing.
In three months time I wrote 50 minutes of music, Frutas Maduras, a concerto for trombone and jazz orchestra.

The flow experience during this time convinced me that composing was what I really wanted to do in life.
In 2002 I took the risk of quitting my teaching job.
Even though I’d always enjoyed teaching I never looked back.

One of the movements of Frutas Maduras, a piece called Tango Mòrbido Y Cìnico, went on to win the international composition competition Scrivere in Jazz in Sardegna, Italy in 2008.
Here it is, listen to my ‘Tango’ as performed by the great Finnish jazz orchestra UMO:

2023
Dismantledjazz orchestraduration: ca. 5′
2022
Sointijazz orchestraduration: ca. 6′
2018
And everybody loves you sojazz orchestraduration: ca. 7’
2016
Spotify My Jazz jazz orchestra duration: ca. 7’
2015  
Hashtag (listen)
(3. prize at the Esko Linnavalli composition competition 2015)
jazz orchestraduration: ca. 7’
2013  
Rain Check (listen)jazz orchestraduration: ca. 7′
2011  
Tip-topjazz orchestraduration: ca. 4′
2010  
Raw Bonesjazz orchestraduration: ca. 12’
2008
Tango Mòrbido y Cìnico
(1. prize at the international composition competition ‘Scrivere in Jazz’ 2008, Italy)
jazz orchestra
(special re-arranged version of part IV of the Frutas Maduras Suite)
duration: ca. 8′
2007  
Dual Layers – trumpet concertojazz orchestraduration: ca. 32’
2006  
Vrindavan in Vindalasolo vocalist and tentetduration: ca.8’30
2005  
Felsenfest – drum concerto
(listen to part III. Les Cloches)
jazz orchestraduration: ca. 30’
Odd Men Out
(3. prize at the Esko Linnavalli composition competition 2005)
jazz orchestraduration: ca. 8’
2003  
Conversations in the ditchjazz orchestraduration: ca. 8’
Pitch Bendjazz orchestraduration: ca. 8’
Musta Kissajazz orchestra & 3 voicesduration: ca. 8’
2002  
Uandajazz orchestra & 3 voicesduration: ca. 7′
Frutas Maduras – trombone concertojazz orchestraduration: ca. 50’

And here is another piece from Frutas Maduras called Claredad.
This piece is dedicated to the great American composer Clare Fischer.
It was actually the first original big band composition I ever wrote.
On trombone Antti Rissanen, the orchestra again UMO.