Melissa Aldana (CL/US) & UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra

Tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana returns to Finland as a soloist of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra for three concerts in October!

The collaboration between Melissa Aldana and UMO started in summer 2023 at Pori Jazz Festival, where Jim McNeely's arrangements of Aldana's compositions were played with the power of the big band. For the October concert series, the repertoire will be expanded with a couple of new arrangements. The conductor is Ed Partyka.

Grammy-nominated tenor saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana (b. 1988) hailing from Chile and living in the United States, is considered one of the leading jazz voices of her generation. She won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition as the first female and as the first South American instrumentalist in 2013. Her jazz quartet’s first album Visions was released with rave reviews in 2019, and the second album 12 Stars received an equally glorious reception in 2022. The first reviews of the album Echoes of the Inner Prophet, released in spring 2024, have also been graceful. DownBeat nominated her as the Rising Star Artist of the Year in 2022. Melissa Aldana is known for her smooth harmonies and compositions that respect post-bop traditions. She has already established her name among the jazz musicians such as John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Branford Marsalis and the SFJAZZ Collective.

Duration about 2 hours with intermission.

The stalls form a designated alcohol serving area for adults age 18 and older. The balcony is for people of all ages, no alcohol serving.

The visit is part of the international Jazz Finland Residency in Helsinki launched by the Finnish Jazz Federation, Sibelius Academy Jazz Music Department at Uniarts Helsinki, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and the Finnish Musicians' Union. The Residence, coordinated and managed by the Jazz Federation, annually invites two international artist guests to Finland. The residency program includes holding master classes at Sibelius Academy and performing together with UMO. The residence's partners are also Music Finland, Finnish Jazz Musicians association and the HIAP Helsinki International Artist Program.

UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra is the only professional orchestra in Finland specialised in jazz and new rhythm-oriented music. The big band of 16 musicians plays about 100 concerts every year in Finland and abroad. The orchestra plays a diverse range of modern music that is on the pulse of the times. The programme varies from jazz to soul and classical music, mixing old and new in surprising way, from children to senior citizens.