Diandra and Sami Saari as soloists for Imatra Band Camp - street concerts

Sami Saari & Imatra Big Band - Koskenparras Tue 27.6. at 20:00

Imatra Big Band is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The orchestra originally consists of professional musicians from Imatra and musicians from the area who have been playing Big Band music for a long time. Antti Rissanen is the conductor of the Imatra Big Band.

The Imatra Big Band Festival began as a training event for the Imatra Big Band, which has been continued since 2015 as a Big Band Camp training and concert event.

Imatra Big Band's vocal soloist will be the king of Finnish soul, Sami Saari, who is known for his long career as a soloist in numerous ensembles. As a composer and lyricist, Sami Saari has written Finnish lyrics for jazz classics, which will be heard at Tuesday's concert.

Junior All Star Big Band - Koskenparras Wed 28.6. at 18:00

Wednesday night in Koskenpartaa opens with real Big Band classics, when the Junior All Star Big Band celebrates Thad Jones' 100th birthday. The best pieces from the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Big Band's repertoire are on offer, performed by top young talents and conducted by Antti Rissanen.

JAS BB consists of young, mostly 13-23 year old, most promising jazz musicians living in Finland. Imatra has a relatively experienced and seasoned group of players who come from all over Finland. The band meets every year for 3-5 periods and has given concerts almost everywhere in the country. The activities of JAS are run and made possible by the industry's umbrella organization, the Finnish Big Band Association.

We will hear more about these young lions - come, see and experience!

Aarni Häkkinen - Koskenparras Wed 28.6. at 20:00

Aarni Häkkinen presents his new album "Aarni Häkkinen Jazz Orchestra". The ensemble consisting of musicians from the forefront of the Finnish rhythm music scene offers ensemble playing and soloist fireworks led by the composer himself! The program consists of material from the album released in April and offers Big Band music lovers a chance for a real evening of dreams. More is now more!

Häkkinen is a composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist whose specialty is big band music. He has won the big band SM competition as a band leader at only 20 years old and was involved in the Grammy-nominated Big Band album. As a composer and arranger, his works have been performed by UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and Kaartin Combo, among others.

Vuoksi Big Band - Koskenparras Thu 29.6. at 16:00

Vuoksi Big Band is the Big Band of Imatra's Virta school. It was founded six years ago, when Imatra's labor college and music college merged. The Big Band has quickly grown in size and currently has more than 20 players in its ranks. About half of the players are adult music enthusiasts and half are music college students. Big Band has been led by Stina Myllys since the beginning.

RytmiHäiriköt - Koskenparras Thu 29.6. at 18:00

RytmiHäiriköt is the Big Band of the University of Eastern Finland. Founded in 1998, the artistic director of the orchestra has been Timo-Teemu Passi since the beginning. The orchestra, which has blazed the trails of rock in a unique way, has developed from a mixed band in the early years into a rugged rock brass band and finally into a grooving Big Band. However, the vision of one's own road and the way it is traveled has always been clear.

In their performances, RytmiHäiriköt considers it important to have a good attitude and an unprejudiced, open approach to music, but above all emphasizes an immediate atmosphere with both its players and the audience. RytmiHäiriköt is guaranteed to provide its listeners with inspiring moments and a great tickling of the dancing feet. From the stage in Koskenparta, RytmiHäiriköt serves the audience a wide range of party music from ABBA to Aquilera.

Diandra & Big Band Camp All Stars - Koskenparras Thu 26.6. at 20:00

The coverage of the Thursday evening is crowned by the real stars of the camp, the Big Band Camp All Stars. Big Band Camp teachers, conductors and other professionals at the camp have been gathered in this special composition. The show, which has already become a tradition for these top players, is guaranteed not to leave you cold.

As the soloist of Camp All Stars, the charismatic Diandra captivates. The singer who won the Idols singing competition in the spring of 2012 is also known from the programs Elämäni biisi and Tähdet, tähdet. Diandra has released three albums, guested on Cheek's and Uniik's hit singles, and impressed as a soloist in front of numerous Finnish orchestras. The energetic concert stage favorite is currently working on a new album.

Big Band Camp will perform - Koskenparras Fri 30.6. at 13:00

The Big Band Camp event once again gathers around 100 music students and enthusiasts from all over Finland in Imatra. They will train intensively for a week under the leadership of our country's leading Big Band conductors and instrument teachers.

The music practiced in the course will be heard in the Friday afternoon concert. The concert culminates in a performance by the A-Big Band, led by Jim McNeely.

Mikael Konttinen & Imatra Big Band - Koskenparras Fri 30.6. at 19:00

The pride of the hometown and South Karelia on the Big Band front will appear in accordance with the 50-year theme in the atmosphere of the most desirable Big Band compositions. Mikael Konttinen is already a regular guest as the soloist of the Imatra Big Band, and his energetic interpretations of both swing classics and swinging rock tunes will bring a different kind of entertainment to the starting Friday night. The orchestra's conductor is Antti Rissanen.