FMQ

FMQ FMQ offers aspects of music in, from, and beyond Finland.

“I was away from the jazz circles for many years along the way, and I didn’t really think anybody knew me anymore or tha...
03/10/2025

“I was away from the jazz circles for many years along the way, and I didn’t really think anybody knew me anymore or that anybody would be interested in my music,” Juhani Aaltonen says. On the contrary: a whole new generation of musicians and listeners has embraced Aaltonen’s music in the current millennium.

Matti Nives sat down with Juhani Aaltonen to reflect on a career that spans more than six decades.

(photo: Johanna Hjorth)

Approaching his 90th birthday, Juhani ‘Junnu’ Aaltonen still radiates a disarming freshness that belies his age. Over a career spanning six decades, he has appeared on more than 3,500 recordings, worked with leading names and inspired a new generation of musicians.

An evening at Helsinki’s Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory) unfolded as more than a concert. Juhani Nuorvala guided us throug...
19/09/2025

An evening at Helsinki’s Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory) unfolded as more than a concert. Juhani Nuorvala guided us through a kaleidoscope of sound.

Charlie Morrow writes as C***o di Bassettino in the style of George Bernard Shaw’s nom de plume, C***o di Bassetto.

An evening at Helsinki’s Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory) unfolded as more than a concert. Juhani Nuorvala guided us through a kaleidoscope of sound. Charlie Morrow writes as C***o di Bassettino in the style of George Bernard Shaw’s nom de plume, C***o di Bassetto.

Anniversary events may open new perspectives and challenge the status quo, yet they frequently end up consolidating the ...
12/09/2025

Anniversary events may open new perspectives and challenge the status quo, yet they frequently end up consolidating the conventional instead, writes Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen.

Round-numbered anniversaries of composers and institutions offer an invaluable uplift amid the harsh competition for attention, but organisers and musicians should always be aware of the motivations behind celebrations and what they seek to promote.

At Helsinki’s Kansalaistori, an opera performance and a demonstration blended into the city’s soundscape. Read Sakari Yl...
05/09/2025

At Helsinki’s Kansalaistori, an opera performance and a demonstration blended into the city’s soundscape. Read Sakari Ylivuori’s reflections on the opera Didi vs. Maailma (Didi vs. the World) in FMQ.

What is the difference between a demonstration and an opera performance? The question arose as I sat in Helsinki’s Kansalaistori (Citizens’ Square) watching an opera performance and a demonstration vying to be heard.

Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen reviews six new releases. Music composed by Järventausta, Fagerlund, Lindberg, Jalava, Helasvuo and...
29/08/2025

Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen reviews six new releases. Music composed by Järventausta, Fagerlund, Lindberg, Jalava, Helasvuo and "jazzed-up" Monteverdi.

Watercolour-like shimmering timbres, sounds resonating in the body and addressing the past. On recent recordings, senses blend as we can see and feel sound in a landscape, as a landscape. Double bass and viola take centre stage.

"In my teaching work, it’s important to me that other visually impaired musicians don’t have to bang their heads against...
21/08/2025

"In my teaching work, it’s important to me that other visually impaired musicians don’t have to bang their heads against the wall to the extent that I had to", says Joose Ojala, Finland’s first Braille music teacher.

FMQ celebrates the 200th anniversary of the braille code.

One of Finland’s leading jazz accordionists – and its only active Braille music teacher – says that blind musicians still face tough challenges despite technological advances. Joose Ojala is blazing a unique path as a composer and accordionist in a world designed for the sighted.

In his column, Sakari Ylivuori traces the swift rise of a single term (huoltovarmuus) that mirrors a world in transition...
15/08/2025

In his column, Sakari Ylivuori traces the swift rise of a single term (huoltovarmuus) that mirrors a world in transition and reshapes our cultural dialogue.

What happens when a crisis term escapes its usual domain and enters the heart of a nation’s cultural conversation? This text traces how huoltovarmuus moved from warehouses and energy grids to theatres and artist studios, reshaping public discourse and raising urgent questions about the future of c...

"What fascinates me about the artistic process is wandering around in chaos, surrendering to intuition and reaching an e...
19/06/2025

"What fascinates me about the artistic process is wandering around in chaos, surrendering to intuition and reaching an end result that defies my conscious imagination."

Salla Hakkola writes about her journey as a composer, a harpist and a performance artist.

In this article, I summarise my creative activity as a balancing act between chaos and order. At its core are opposing forces whose struggle is at once painful and ecstatic and an endless source of inspiration. The relationship between chaos and order varies in my media music and arts projects. I al...

On her most powerful album yet, Päivi Hirvonen sings about the damage we’re doing to our planet. Simon Broughton talks t...
13/06/2025

On her most powerful album yet, Päivi Hirvonen sings about the damage we’re doing to our planet. Simon Broughton talks to her to learn more.

On her most powerful album yet, Päivi Hirvonen sings about the damage we’re doing to our planet. Simon Broughton talks to her to learn more.

Three is a magic number! Wif Stenger reviews three recent jazz-inflected trio albums: Silentopia by Symbiocene, Gravity ...
06/06/2025

Three is a magic number! Wif Stenger reviews three recent jazz-inflected trio albums: Silentopia by Symbiocene, Gravity by Joona Toivanen trio, Introducing by Roope Kantonen 3.

Three is a magic number for balancing improvisational agility and compositional sturdiness, as shown on three recent jazz-inflected trio albums.

Regularly enjoying music may slow the normal cognitive decline associated with aging. This is something witnessed by bot...
30/05/2025

Regularly enjoying music may slow the normal cognitive decline associated with aging. This is something witnessed by both the professor of neuropsychology and the musicians working in nursing homes.

Read more in the FMQ article by Wif Stenger.

Accordions and gramophones can unlock long-lost memories. And familiar songs can help restore speech and bring moments of lucidity to those facing neurological disorders, whether in clinical music therapy or casual singalongs.

Adele Sauros discusses her creative process and the benefits of playing in multible ensembles. Read more on FMQ.
23/05/2025

Adele Sauros discusses her creative process and the benefits of playing in multible ensembles.

Read more on FMQ.

Balancing the challenges of leading and participating in several projects, Adele Sauros embraces the diversity of the Finnish jazz scene and values musical collaboration.

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when FMQ posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to FMQ:

Shortcuts

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share