Kaija Saariaho – Verneri Pohjola
How could one play it with a trumpet when something falls down into a deep well, hitting the well’s edges on the way? Among other things, this is what composer Kaija Saariaho has asked trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, with whom she has collaborated since the beginning of 2022. The collaboration culminates in the first performance of Saariaho's trumpet concerto Hush during Helsinki Festival. All possible superlatives have been associated with Saariaho, and she is considered one of the most significant composers of our time. Pohjola, on the other hand, has garnered praise for his originality and gained reputation around the world. Although Pohjola is already known as a challenger of the limits of his instrument, in the new concerto he has to stretch his expression even further. "The work requires more control than before," he says. The conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra is Susanna Mälkki, who is known as the world's leading interpreter of Saariaho.
NEW ALBUM
MONKEY MIND
Coming on November 3rd 2023
Edition Records, UK
Trumpeter-composer Verneri Pohjola will release his long-awaited new album "Monkey Mind" in November 2023. The name of the album refers to the uneasiness or restlessness of the mind. "When the mind is burdened with chaos and excessive stress, everything feels chaotic. The mind is filled with doubt about your own sufficiency, worthiness or ability. With the songs on the album, I have especially tried to face my own monkey mind and greet it kindly," says Pohjola.
The new record also brings with it a new kind of lightness. Pohjola has composed new songs regardless of whether they are "jazz" enough or "new" enough. He simply wanted to enjoy making music on his own again.
Pohjola got a real dream group for his album, each member of which is top class in Europe, both in terms of their own careers and musically.
"I was finally brave enough to ask exactly the musicians I truly wanted to join this. I have enjoyed British pianist and organist Kit Downes' playing since the first time I heard it. Kit's playing sounds effortless, is easy to understand, but it’s, deep, sensitive and wonderfully abstract at the same time. I immediately had the feeling that I would like to make music with him. The entire personality of Danish-born bassist Jasper Høiby radiates bright, positive energy, and he invests in band work with a particularly admirable dedication. When I thought about these two musicians in the same band, Olavi Louhivuori automatically came to mind as the drummer. Olavi’s musical and human presence is pure gold. We have been playing together in various formations since 2001," Pohjola describes.