Villa Hakasalmi

Swedish alto saxophonist Marcus Wärnheim and Finnish double bass player Jonathan Bäckström have been playing together as a duo since 2018. Through a long-lasting close collaborative process they are consequently pushing the limits of the intimate duo setting, exploring sound by embracing the spontaneous, pre-determined and arbitrary. Jonathan Bäckström is a Finnish bassist, composer and […]

Guitarist Topias Tiheäsalo performs versions of compositions he himself calls 'free jazz ballads.' His set list features a selection of pieces whose composers range from John Coltrane to Duke Ellington, and from Don Cherry to Albert Ayler. He seeks to uncover the essence of these works through reduction and simplification, resulting in almost skeletal interpretations […]

Sergio Castrillón is a cellist and composer deeply dedicated to improvised and experimental music. Within his career Sergio has collaborated with a big number of Finnish and international improvisers and composers, from diverse music genres and in a variety of ensembles. Sergio also performs actively as a solo improviser, featuring in festivals, series of concerts, […]

Esa Pietilä and Liudas Mockūnas, both internationally renowned saxophonists and composers known for their masterful playing and captivating compositions, are now performing together for the very first time. Their natural expression is an explosive fusion of free jazz, Western contemporary music, lyricism, and expressionism, combined with unconventional and extended saxophone techniques. Their deep exploration of […]

Long-time collaborators and individually successful musicians, pianist Aki Rissanen and saxophonist Mikko Innanen return to the stage with a brand-new program. Recently developed and rehearsed during a residency in Western Uusimaa, the material delves not only into fundamental questions of art and humanity, but also into the trivial and seemingly irrelevant details of life. Stylistically, […]

Helsinki-based pianist and composer Toomas Keski-Säntti recorded his debut album Unearth while living in New York City. Released in March 2025 on the Spanish label Fresh Sound, the album marks the acclaimed pianist’s first appearance as a bandleader. To bring the music of the album to life, Keski-Säntti assembled a group of top-tier musicians from […]