Second part of John Hollenbeck’s residency takes place in August
Composer, drummer and percussionist John Hollenbeck visited Helsinki as the first-ever Artist-in-Residence in the Jazz Finland Residency program in August 2021. Due to the pandemic, Hollenbeck’s visit was divided into two short periods, and the latter part finally takes place a year later, in August 1–21, 2022.
John Hollenbeck is best known from his ensemble Claudia Quintet and from his collaborations with Bob Brookmeyer. Hollenbeck is a recipient of numerous industry awards as well as five GRAMMY Award nominations, among others. In 2005-2016, Hollenbeck was Professor of jazz drumming and improvisation at the Jazz Institute Berlin and in 2015, he joined the teaching faculty at the Shulich School of Music at the McGill University in Montreal.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollenbeck managed to meet with around 50 Finnish musicians during his two-week visit last year, teach at Sibelius Academy’s jazz music teachers’ camp, perform a concert with a band made up of Sibelius Academy teachers at KOKO Jazz Club in Helsinki on August 19, and a stream concert with UMO Helsinki on August 24 at Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo. He also taught a master class at the Sibelius Academy.
Hollenbeck’s public performance dates in Finland during his 2022 stay will be updated at the residency website (see the bottom of the article).
The Jazz Finland Residency is a new high profile residency program for invited jazz musicians, composers and conductors. Coordinated and administrated by Jazz Finland, the program annually invites two international guests for 1–2 month residencies in Finland. The residency includes giving masterclasses at Sibelius Academy Jazz Department, as well as performing with the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. The residency concept also enables local professional jazz musicians to initiate collaborations with the Artist-in-Residence. Further residency partners include Music Finland, Finnish Jazz Musicians’ Association and the Helsinki International Artist Programme (HIAP).