Singer Riikka Keränen and pianist Juho Valjakka perform new jazz music inspired by the art and life of artist Reidar Särestöniemi.

Singer Riikka Keränen and pianist Juho Valjakka perform new jazz music inspired by the art and life of artist Reidar Särestöniemi.
A full hundred years after Särestöniemi’s birth, his impressive use of colour and painting techniques that differ from the traditional methods have inspired this duo to experiment with different harmonies and textures that challenge the conventions of jazz music and use them to express their new compositions.

In the On Canvas concert, the warm voice of Keränen, the delicate musical language of Valjakka and their captivating shared performance take the audience on a journey through an enchanting musical world.

After releasing their debut albums in 2022, Riikka Keränen (A Vision of a Garden) and Juho Valjakka (Liminal Spaces) have become some of the most impressive, rising jazz artists in the Finnish music scene. In addition to her own ensemble, Keränen is known from bands such as Signe and Megasakki, while Valjakka is familiar from his own Juho Valjakka Trio and many other ensembles, such as Lassy–Eskola Nordic Stew and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra.

Riikka Keränen – vocals
Juho Valjakka – piano