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Solo albums, piano trio work and extensive efforts as a sideman both locally and globally made Aki Rissanen one of the leading Finnish jazz pianists of his generation. Now his new album seems to be catapulting him to the top of the heap.

In April 2018 the Tampere Biennale festival of contemporary Finnish music will highlight “free radicals”. Bringing together contemporary music enthusiasts and professionals, this year’s Biennale showcases artistic freedom, fringe art, artistic interaction and a record number of new works.

"Talented, bold and versatile, Anni Elif Egecioglu is a welcome role model to all yearning to test the strength of their ideas and resolve."

"A key feature on this album is amalgamating both traditional approaches and contemporary touches. The outcome is occasionally even surreal. This makes for a brilliant album by two master musicians."

"A secret destined to come out globally sooner than not, Pauli Lyytinen is THE current Finnish jazzer to follow if woodwinds are your penchant."

"Teemu Viinikainen's light touch on the delay, sustain and looping pedals creates a spacious, floating sound that triggers all kinds of pleasure synapses."

"Rather than thinking through choruses, the Joona Toivanen Trio approaches their works through variations and development, with intense focus on dynamics, colors, and sound quality."

Sonja Virtanen Quartet's debut album draws from hard bop and soul jazz from the 50s and 60s. The sound is warm and, in a good sense, somewhat rough around the edges. The music, however, is not as retro as the sound.

Author and musician Maritza Núñez has written the librettos for 42 operas to date. In 2018, operas based on her libretti will be performed in Finland, Estonia, Russia and Peru. Here she discusses the art of writing a libretto.