Our Composers

Ampuja, Raine b. 24.01.1958 Helsinki
Mr. Raine Ampuja studied the french horn, musical theory and conducting music at the Sibelius Academy during the years 1980-1988. He graduated as a conductor in 1988 and started his work as a conductor at the Guard's Band, the Finnish official army band of the State.

Mr. Ampuja is also well known for his wind music tuition he has given on several master classes and summer-camps around Finland.

In the year 1993 he decided to take his own studies even further and went on to study at the Royal Navy Academy of Music in England. Immediately after these studies he designed, conducted and led the first military music Tattoo-tour ever performed in Finland for vast audiences through the country.

Mr. Ampuja has ever since been the artistic director for all the Tattoo-tours in Finland and has received several acknowledgements for his work, among others the Military Music Cross.

In addition to his extensive work with wind band music Mr. Ampuja has composed several works for various line-ups, including ceremonial music for the Pope's visit to Helsinki as well as music for the opening ceremonies of the cross-country skiing World Championships at Lahti in 2001!

His most widely known orchestral work, "Magic" is based on Kalevala, the ancient Finnish Epic. Epic's main character is the sorcerer "Väinämöinen" who is the master of the secrets and might of song. (J.R.R. Tolkien himself has admitted to have been influenced by the work when writing the Lord of the Rings).

The last few years have placed Mr. Raine Ampuja in the responsible position of chairman of Finnish Symphonic Band Association, where he can pursue his aim of advancing the practise of amateur wind music in the country.

Englund, Einar
Click on the above link to receive extensive information on composer Einar Englund.

Forsström, Timo b. 1961
Composer and musician, Mr. Timo Forsström started his musician's career when he was only six years old. His first instrument was the accordion, which he back then studied at the Lasse Pihlajamaa accordion school. As a school boy Timo was rocking hard with the electric guitar. Soon his love of music had him entering a disciplined musical training at the Hämeenlinna Army band, where he took the military position of a music student. These days musician, lieutenant Timo Forsström serves at the Guard's Band of the Finnish Defence Forces as an assistant conductor as well as a french horn player.

In addition to his main work Forsström is active in the music publishing field having achieved a high status among the Finnish wind music composers. His musical works have clear and intuitive structures with themes that are easy to get to grips with.

A huge part of the causes for the popularity of his music are due to the carefully considered orchestration that shows his vast experience of the tonal colour palette of a wind orchestra and a desire to make meaningful parts for the individual musicians in the orchestras sections.

He himself considers finnish composers Rauno Lehtinen and Markku Johansson as his most important influences. Timo has said that when composing for a wind orchestra he often is forced to approach the music writing process through several problems presented by the line-ups of the bands performing the music - either some section is lacking in the number of players or then the problems reside in the technical capabilities of individuals in the sections.

He considers his most important piece of work the composition "Waiting for Spring" - which was his first piece to receive wider acclaim. His latest hit for the wind-orchestra is the Castle Park, which has at least 5 separate recordings by different bands to it's roster.

The turn of the millennia has seen Timo become a much sought after song-writer. His writing has produced radio hits for the finnish schlager scene like the one performed by Jouni Kero: Käy Tanssiin (Come dancing), or "Huomisiin" (Until tomorrow, good bye) that brought Forsström the first place of finnish hit song writing contest in 99. In the years 2001 and 2002 Timo won the tango composing contests held at "Tangomarkkinat", a finnish ballroom dance happening collecting vast audiences each year from all corners of Finland. His winning pieces were, "Kuu, kylmä kuningatar" (Moon, the cold queen) and "Play it louder".

Heikkinen, Esko b. 04.07.1953
Mr.Esko Heikkinen is a multifaceted professional of music, commercial trumpeter and a conductor.

He was born 4.7.1953 at Kuusjärvi in Finland. He started playing the trumpet when he was 14 at the Outokumpu wind orchestra and started moving towards a professional career at a young age playing trumpet with his father, Unto Heikkinen, at dance bands.
 
His professional career started officially when he joined the Kontioranta Military Wind band in 1970 and continued in the Military Music Department of the Sibelius Academy in 1973-74. In the Guard's Band he was the lead trumpeter in 1975-1983.
 
His first contact with jazz-music was with the Tapiola Big Band, and the flagship of Finnish professional big bands, UMO, joined him in their ranks in 1976. Also important was his work in the Jukka Linkola Octet. Esko Heikkinen received the Yrjö award of the Finnish Jazz-Association in 1998. His current work is done mainly in the UMO Big-Band as a concert master and lead-trumpeter.
 
Heikkinen has also received admiration for his magnificient brass-band arrangements. They are easiest to catch with his own band, Super Brass.
 
In the 90:s Esko Heikkinen has become one of the most influential Big Band lead trumpeters. He has, to name a few, performed with these artists: Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Gil Evans, Joe Henderson, Thad Jones, Benny Golson, Dave Liebman, Arturo Sandoval, NHOP, Toots Thielemans, Mc Coy Tyner, Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Dexter Gordon, Jon Faddis, Louie Bellson, Randy Brecker, Joe Williams, Freddie Hubbard, Michael Brecker, Marvin Stamm, Ray Anderson, John Scofield, The Manhattan Transfer (tour w), Mike Westbrook, Carla Bley, Natalie Cole ( tour w).
 
Yes, we do think he knows his jazz.

Ikonen, Janne b.1975
Mr. Janne Ikonen studies classical composing at the Sibelius Academy as a student of Erkki Jokinen and is finishing his percussion studies at the Keski-Suomen Konservatorio, Jyväskylä. He teaches drums and percussion at the University of Jyväskylä and music school of Ala-Keitele. He has been the conductor of the Jyväskylä university symphony orchestra from 1997 to 2000, the conductor of Ala-Keitele grand symphony orchestra (1998-2000), 2nd conductor of the wind band "Puhkupillit"(1995-1998), and acted as a rehearsal director and guest conductor at several wind orchestras among others the Jyväskylä city orchestra, Jyväskylä chamber orchestra, the wind band of the Finnish Air Force and the Academic Brass Band.

Ikonen acted as the regular assistant percussionist at the Jyväskylä city orchestra at 1997-2000, and has performed with several other orchestras. Mr. Janne Ikonen is from Lieksa (the host town for the world renowned Lieksa Brass Week), so his experience of brass music has started understandably at a very young age.

He started his musicians career as the Lieksa Youth Wind Orchestra 2nd euphonium and later switched to tuba. His co-operation with the LNPO and Pielisen - Karjalan music school is still vibrant, which has produced many of his youth wind orchestra compositions. Most of his compositions have originally been created for a youth orchestra and especially during the last few years he has made lots of introductory material for aspiring young bands.

His largest musical work has up to this date been "Näky" (Vision) - a musical play for a symphony orchestra, choir and soloists he wrote in 2001.

Jaakkola, Asmo b.1975
Mr. Asmo Jaakkola studies musical education at the University of Jyväskylä. His studies include work in conducting and music technology.

His musicianship is at it's best with clarinet and saxophone. His wind orchestra experience was gained from the "Puhkupillit" wind orchestra and the Conscript Band of the Finnish Armed Forces, his musical roots residing in jazz music.

His most known works for a Jazz-band are "Atmosphere", "Kaislojen huojuessa"(By the Swaying Reeds) and "Huomenna on poutasää" (Tomorrow the skies will be clear).

He also has arrangements for symphony orchestras and symphonic bands in his portfolio.

Koskinen, Jyrki b. 1964 at Janakkala, Finland
Mr. Koskinen started his musical studies when he was 5, as a student of piano with the legendary Agnes Thesleff. Later he moved to trumpet, which he initially studied under his father. In 1980 he started his professional studies at the Finnish Military Music School. His trumpet teacher back then was Lauri Ojala.

After graduating as a military musician he acted as an officer of music at the Helsinki Varuskunta symphonic band (later, The Guard's Band) and tought among other things, musical arrangement.

In 1993 he graduated from his military music conductor's studies as the head of his class. After graduating Koskinen has acted as a conductor in the Military Music School, the head of the Savo Military orchestra (96-98) as the head of the Conscript Band of the Finnish Military Forces.

He is currently the head of Military Music School in Lahti, Finland.

Pasquet, Luis b. 1917
Luis Pasquet, one of the most widely known conductors of Uruguay, immigrated to Finland in the beginning of the 70's. He initially worked for the Finnish National balet for two years, but after that moved to Lahti.

Luis Pasquet started his musical studies with the piano at the music conservatory of Salto, Uruguay, from where he moved on to study composing and conducting to the Kolisher conservatory in Montevideo. His musical interests where from an early stage directed towards impressionism, ekspressionism and jazz. Hence, his music has delicate shades of all these branches of music.

When working as a conductor for tv and radio of Montevideo, Luis Pasquet conducted various musical styles together with top guest soloists like Josephine Baker and Maurice Chevalier.

One of his definitive strengths in the branch of Jazz is his wide control of different styles of jazz: new orleans, chicago, dixieland, New York high-brow, swing, bebop and cool. This wide palette he has had for display for example in the Davenport Five-quintet he has founded.

Davenport Five performed together with jazz-greats like Louis Armstrongin and Ella Fitzgerald.

Among his musical works are "Series for a brass quintet", "Three pieces for a wind quintet", "French Waltz", "Uruquayan Negro Dance" "Candombe" ja "Five works for piano, alto saxophone and tuba" ( "Jazz in a walz", "Bossanova", "Bopology", "Tropical air" and "Charleston") and "Three red tangos" ("Dark red"-, "Ancient red"- and "Scarlet tango").

Viitasaari, Jukka b.1961
Jukka Viitasaari

Living in Tampere, Finland

Jukka Viitasaari (b. 1961), M.E., is a former Finnish classroom teacher with a musical background (including studies in music theory, rock, jazz, and low brass instruments.) His instruments are the tuba and the guitar and he has composed dozens of pieces for windbands of various forms of which about 60+ have been published in Finland and several other by the Dutch publisher Bronsheim Muziekuitguiverij and the US TRN Music Publisher and BRS-Music.

In 2000, the Finnish Conservatory Bands Puhuri and Junior Big Band released the first CD featuring his (big)band music: "Born in the Sauna, the music of Jukka Viitasaari".

A word from his mentor, associate professor of music Paul Niemisto, St. Olaf College, MN, USA: "Jukka Viitasaari is an unique voice in Finnish band music in that he strives to incorporate old traditional folk music idioms into modern formats."

Notable commissions include "The 3-D Musketeer"(2003) by the KSU Trumpet Ensemble and "The Virtual Alchemist" (2004) by the KSU Brass Quintet both conducted by dr. Gary Mortenson at the rescpective ITG World Conferences as was "Sandman´s Day Off" (for dr. Luis Engelke) in 2005 and "Winter Reflections" (2005) commissioned by Dan Gordon and the Plattsburgh State University of New York Symphonic Band.

His works in a similar vein include the 15-minute "The Missing Season" (commissioned by the Concordia College Band, Moorhead MN), winner of the 2nd prize in the international competition for a composition for wind band held in Corciano, Italy 2001.

"Lord Of The Sauna" gained an honorary mention in 2. Concours International de Composition Musicale held by the Lys Music Orchestra, Belgium 2003. Also in 2003 "Gone Fishing" (Angeln gegangen) made it to the finals in a German composition contest held by the Saxionade youth band festival.

In 2004 he won all three categories (A-B-C) in a contest held by the Finnish Wind Band Association. The victorious pieces were "Rain Dances", "Tango Fantasy" and "Portrait Of A Searcher". Also in 2004, he won the 2nd prize in a march composition contest Sotapojan taivas ("G.I.s Heaven") with "The Young Lions".

In 2005 he won the 1st prize in a composition contest held by the Finnish Wind Band Association and the Composers and Arrangers of Finland with "Solos, Anyone?" and in 2006 "Light up the Sky" (symphonic wind band work) won the 1st prize at the VIII Concorso Pernice composition competition in Canicattini Bagni, Italy and "Strange Dreams" the 2nd prize at Concours international de composition pour orchestre d'harmonie Lambersart - France.

SD also gained the 2nd prize at Humboldt Brass Chamber Music Workshop Composition Contest - USA (2007) as a brass sextet version. LutS and SD will be published by TRN and "Aba-Zulu"(for six trumpets) and "Portrait of a Searcher" (Clarinet Choir) by BRS-Music. Viitasaari is a member of the Finnish Composers Society.