Jazz for Kids in Autumn 2026

The joint Jazz for Kids initiative by the Finnish Jazz Federation and Helsinki Cultural Centres increases children’s opportunities to engage with jazz culture across different parts of Helsinki while also developing musicians’ audience engagement skills. The free-admission concerts will take place during the autumn 2026 season at Vuotalo, Annantalo and Maunula-talo.

At Jazz for Kids concerts, professional musicians perform their own music at a child-friendly volume level in easily accessible cultural centre venues. Performing either solo or as duos, the musicians will talk with the audience at the end of each event and introduce their instruments.

Jazz for Kids Concerts, Autumn 2026

Nikita Rafaelov

Nikita Rafaelov is a Helsinki-based keyboardist, producer, and composer who has established himself at the forefront of Finnish jazz and experimental music. He has performed at events including Pori Jazz, Oulu Music Festival and Flow Festival. At the Jazz for Kids concert at Vuotalo, Rafaelov will perform music from his solo album Heart Does What Heart Wants, released in autumn 2024, along with other new and older works. Using piano, synthesizer, sampler, and computer, he creates an adventure through the worlds of electroacoustic jazz, ambient music and lo-fi hip hop.

Nikita Rafaelov – piano, synthesizer, and sampler

3.9 at 18:00–18:45 Vuotalo (Mosaiikkitori 2, Helsinki)

Joakim Berghäll & Adele Sauros

Joakim Berghäll & Adele Sauros is a duo of two saxophonists who have performed at events including Viapori Jazz, We Jazz Festival, as well as in Germany and Austria. The concert will feature music from the duo’s debut album Runoja rauhalle (“Poems for Peace”) as well as previews from their upcoming album. The music on Runoja rauhalle is based on poems by writers living in crisis regions around the world. Berghäll improvised freely on the material for a couple of hours, after which he condensed and refined the music into six compositions.

Adele Sauros – tenor and soprano saxophone
Joakim Berghäll – baritone saxophone and cello

19.9. at 13:00–13:45 Maunula-talo (Metsäpurontie 4, Helsinki)

Viba

Singer-songwriter Viba blends alt-pop, jazz, and poetry in intriguing ways in her Finnish-language music. Together with her band, she released her second full-length album Harso in 2025. Moving between the realms of dreams and wakefulness in her lyrics, Viba builds her musical world together with bassist Oskari Siirtola, who is also responsible for the arrangements. At Annantalo, Viba — aka Virva Immonen — and Siirtola will perform together as a duo for the first time. In addition to vocals and bass, the pair will play richly textured synthesizers during the concert.

Virva Immonen – vocals, synthesizers
Oskari Siirtola – bass, synthesizers

8.10. at 10:00–10:45 Annantalo (Annankatu 30, Helsinki)
(NOTE: Advance registration is required for this concert. Registration will open later.)

Supported by the City of Helsinki and organized by the Finnish Jazz Federation and Helsinki Cultural Centres, the Jazz for Kids initiative is based on the concert series of the same name that has been organized at the Espoo Cultural Centre since 2015 in collaboration with the pop/jazz department Ebeli of the Espoo Music Institute. The concept was developed by the Ebeli pop/jazz department of the Espoo Music Institute.

The image features Virva Immonen, known as Viba. Photo by Severi Uusitalo.