Teosto-award-winning Mikko Sarvanne Garden on a Finnish Jazz Federation tour in May
Composer Mikko Sarvanne leads the seven-member Mikko Sarvanne Garden, which will perform concerts in seven locations around Finland from May 8th to 17th. Sarvanne was awarded the Teosto Award in 2023 for the compositions on his band’s debut album.
Drawing from Nordic jazz, contemporary vocal and percussion music, and sound art, Mikko Sarvanne Garden will perform on a tour organized by the Finnish Jazz Federation throughout Finland in May. The tour kicks off in Joensuu on May 8th, followed by Porvoo, Turku, Sipoo, Kajaani, and Oulu. The tour concludes on May 17th at the Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki, where Mikko Sarvanne Garden will be joined by Elia Lombardini.
Led by composer Mikko Sarvanne, Mikko Sarvanne Garden consists of three vocalists, two string players, and a percussionist, with the composer himself handling synthesizers and other electronics in live settings. Through their music, the septet transports the listener to a parallel reality, a garden that offers a transcendental experience – synthesizers glowing like the rising sun, low strings rumbling like deep roots, and the flexible cathedrals of clear vocal melodies enveloping the listener in a tender embrace.
The band’s debut album, Heräämisen valkea myrsky (The White Storm of Awakening), based on the eponymous poetry collection by Erkka Filander, was released in October 2022. The compositions on the album were awarded the Teosto Award in spring 2023.
“Mikko Sarvanne has succeeded in creating a cohesive work in which ambient, electronics, acoustic instruments, and elements of nature merge into their own universe in an innovative way. The work has a distinct voice and atmosphere that carries from start to finish, enveloping the listener in its world,” explained the Teosto Award jury in justifying their decision.
“On the tour, audiences will hear the full Heräämisen valkea myrsky album for the last few times, updated and expanded, now in what I consider a fully realized version,” the composer says. In addition to the suite, the concerts will feature a new composition by Sarvanne, set to the poetry of Milka Luhtaniemi (Kirnu, Gummerus, 2021), which, according to the composer, will pave the way for the band’s future musical direction.
Sarvanne eagerly anticipates the upcoming concerts around Finland, noting that Mikko Sarvanne Garden has yet to be heard live in many locations.
“I’m especially looking forward to the final concert of the tour at the Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki, a venue I’ve dreamed of since the formation of this band. I believe our music will reach a very special realm there,” Sarvanne envisions.
Mikko Sarvanne is a composer who freely traverses the boundaries between jazz and contemporary music. In addition to his Mikko Sarvanne Garden ensemble, he is known for steering Mikko Sarvanne Hip Company, which has released two albums with a stronger leaning towards jazz expression. Sarvanne received his composition education from institutions such as the Sibelius Academy at the University of the Arts Helsinki, specializing in jazz composition.
Mikko Sarvanne Garden
Josefiina Vannesluoma – vocals
Virva Immonen – vocals
Selma Savolainen – vocals
Jesse Ojajärvi – percussion
Aino Juutilainen – cello
Oskari Siirtola – double bass
Mikko Sarvanne – compositions, electronics
Concert Venues and Dates
Wed 8.5. at 19.00 Joensuu, Näyttämö / Jazzkerho -76
Fri 10.5. at 20.00 Porvoo, Vanha 123 / Porvoo Jazz Club
Sat 11.5. at 19.00 Turku, Logomo / Flame Jazz, Jazz City Turku
Sun 12.5. at 15.00 Sipoo, Topeliussali
Tue 14.5. at 19.00 Kajaani, Culture and Congress Center Kaukametsä’s Kouta Hall
Wed 15.5. at 19.00 Oulu, RioLive / OMJ Jazz & Etno
Fri 17.5. at 19:00 Helsinki, Temppeliaukio Church (with Elia Lombardini) / Produced by Mikko Sarvanne Garden
Jazz – heard and seen!
Finnish Jazz Federation’s essential form of operation is national touring. The annual touring activities enable approximately 100 concerts in 40 different locations all over Finland. The concerts mainly take place in their member organizations. Four of the tours are in-house productions, and five are produced in co-operation with external producers.
Photo: Kalle-Erik Kosonen