21–23 April, 2026
April Jazz, in collaboration with the Finnish Jazz Federation, MusicFinland and Sibelius Academy, will showcase the best of contemporary Finnish jazz music to international industry professionals – in celebration of 100 years of jazz in Finland!
The music will come to life in three, distinctly different destinations in Espoo:
Exhibition Centre WeeGee – Ahertajantie 5
Hanaholmen – Hanasaarenranta 5
Kino Tapiola – Mäntyviita 2
All concerts are free to enter.
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Lassy–Eskola Nordic Stew
Tue 21 April – 15:00
Exhibition Centre WeeGee (Hallway)Lassy and Eskola take the listeners for a journey full of different rhythmic environments combined with lyrical beauty of the nordic jazz music.
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Pauli Lyytinen
Tue 21 April – 16:15
Exhibition Centre WeeGee (KAMU Stage)Saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Pauli Lyytinen is known for his adventurous and uncompromising work within rhythm and art music that transcends borders.
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Selma Savolainen in the shade
Tue 21 April – 17:15
Exhibition Centre WeeGee – (EMMA Aitio)Savolainen is known for a fearless approach to music, as well as her striking use of voice, which have “raised Finnish vocal jazz to a new level”.
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Seppo Kantonen Trio
Wed 22 April – 10:00
Hanaholmen (Restaurant Plats)The trio’s music embodies a refined, gentle modernism, performed mostly acoustically, where influences from contemporary concert music are filtered into an intimate jazz expression.
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Iro Haarla Ouranos Ensemble
Wed 22 April – 11:30
Hanaholmen (Restaurant Plats)Weaving a vastly colorful world of sound around Haarla’s melodies and welcoming us to new sonic territory, the musical expression of the ensemble is strong and profound. In the shade which takes the expression of her six-piece ensemble into new directions.
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Aki Rissanen Solo
Wed 22 April – 14:30
Hanaholmen (Restaurant Plats)Aki Rissanen is one of the leading figures of Finnish jazz and a recognized voice in the European jazz scene. In his new solo program, Rissanen draws inspiration from the true rock star of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci.
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D.O.P.A.
Wed 22 April – 16:30
Hanaholmen (Restaurant Plats)Shades of jazz, rock, prog, and even electropop – all these influences blend naturally into D.O.P.A.’s richly nuanced sound.
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Superposition
Thu 23 April – 11:00
Kino TapiolaDeep-toned yet fiercely expressive, this is music that rewards repeated listening, marked by a rare sense of togetherness.
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Kadi Vija
Thu 23 April – 11:45
Kino TapiolaVocal sound artist Kadi Vija and pianist Nikita Rafaelov bring to the stage an intimate and curious work about family, love, and seeing the world differently. The piece moves between experimental electronic art and the delicate sensibility of indie music.
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Heli Hartikainen
Thu 23 April – 12:45
Kino TapiolaAn award-winning saxophonist, composer, and sound artist whose music merges experimental sonic textures with hypnotic, evolving soundscapes.
Partners and Supporters
The showcase is made possible with the support of the following partners:
Main Partners
Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki
April Jazz / Espoo Big Band ry
Funding Partners
MES – Music Promotion Foundation Finland
City of Espoo
Other Supporters
Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C.
Finnish Institute in Japan
Finnish Institute in Germany
Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland
Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux
FinnAgora – Finnish Institute in Hungary
Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute
Omnia, the Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo region
Main Partners
Together with
