Mika Pohjola facts for kids

Mika Pohjola (born December 1, 1971) is a talented jazz pianist and composer from Finland. He now lives in Stockholm, Sweden. He is known as one of the most active jazz musicians of his generation in Scandinavia.

About Mika Pohjola

Childhood in Finland

Mika Pohjola was born in Helsinki, Finland. He grew up nearby in Vantaa. He went to a Steiner school, where he first learned to play the violin. Later, he studied drums. In 1979, he started learning piano and basic music theory from his father, Heikki Pohjola, who is a Finnish jazz guitarist.

In 1981, young Mika joined the Helsinki cathedral boy choir, Cantores Minores. The next year, he started studying classical piano, music theory, and composition at the Vantaa Conservatory. He also began playing jazz and improvising music freely. Some of his early favorite classical composers were Claude Debussy, Edvard Grieg, and Johann Sebastian Bach. His father introduced him to jazz artists like Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, and Oscar Peterson by playing their records at home.

Mika performed music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Debussy. In 1987, he won a shared second prize in a classical piano competition in Vantaa. He also represented his city at the Ilmari Hannikainen Piano Competition.

Studying Music in Sweden

In 1987, Mika moved to Stockholm, Sweden. He went to the Södra Latin Music Gymnasium to study jazz and classical music. In Stockholm, he met Alvaro Is Rojas, a jazz pianist who became his teacher and friend. Alvaro taught Mika piano improvisation, jazz harmony, and ear-training for five years.

Mika continued his studies at the Royal Swedish College of Music. He earned a master's degree in Jazz Improvisation and Education in 1992, when he was just 20 years old. After his final performance, he was invited to join STIM, a group for songwriters and composers in Sweden. He also made his first appearance on Swedish Radio in 1991.

Learning in Boston, USA

After finishing his studies in Stockholm, Mika moved to Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He received a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music. His Swedish college also supported his studies because he had done so well there.

At Berklee, Mika learned from famous professors like Herb Pomeroy and Gary Burton. He also met many musicians he would later perform and record with. These included Jill Walsh, Johanna Grüssner, Fernando Huergo, and Matt Penman. Mika graduated from Berklee with honors and several awards in 1994. That same year, he recorded an album called Myths and Beliefs.

Performing Around the World

In 1995, Mika Pohjola moved to New York City. He became part of the lively jazz music scene there. He performed at famous New York jazz clubs like Blue Note and Birdland. He played with many talented musicians, including Chris Cheek and Mark Turner.

Mika began touring Europe regularly, often leading his own bands from New York. He was invited to Ukraine several times as a cultural representative for Finland. He also formed a duo called Sound of Village with Yusuke Yamamoto. They played music where they improvised freely. They often performed at the Knitting Factory in New York City and also at Steinway Hall. In 2000, Sound of Village released their own album. They toured and played at jazz festivals in Scandinavia and Japan.

Creating New Music

As Mika recorded his first few albums, he became very interested in how recording studios could be used to create music, not just record it. For his 2002 album Landmark, he recorded two songs with multiple voices using singer Johanna Grüssner.

This success led to more work with Johanna Grüssner. They recorded all the original Moomin songs by Tove Jansson and Erna Tauro. Moomin Voices was released in two versions: one in Swedish in 2003 and one in Finnish in 2005. His next album, A Lark in the Snowstorm (2006), featured his unique arrangements of tangos.

Working with Singers

Mika Pohjola has always enjoyed working with jazz singers since he lived in Sweden in the late 1980s. Some of his first singing partners were Rigmor Gustafsson and Lisa Werlinder. In Boston, he worked with Johanna Grüssner, and they released an album called Swedish Traditional Songs in 2006. Mika has also performed regularly with singer Jill Walsh since the late 1990s, and they have released three albums together.

Teaching Music

Since 1993, Mika Pohjola has often taught at music schools, especially in Scandinavia. From 1995 to 2008, he was also the jazz leader and big band director at the international Nilsiä Summer Music Camp. Since 2016, he has been a professor at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.

Awards and Current Work

Mika Pohjola has been recognized as a Steinway Distinguished Artist since 1997. He has also been a major visiting artist at Berklee College of Music since 2006.

His recent albums include Northern Sunrise, which features Steve Wilson and Ben Monder. He also released a solo piano album called Great Tunes by My Friends, with music by Kurt Rosenwinkel and others. Mika also plays Argentine chacarera music and jazz with bassist and composer Fernando Huergo. They recorded an album called Provinciano in 2008. Mika also helps mix and master other artists' albums.

Music Albums

As the Leader

• Chick Corea: Children's Songs, 2014
• Trio Hour, 2013
• The Red Bicycle, 2009
• Great Tunes by My Friends, 2009
• Christmas Carols, 2009
• Northern Sunrise, 2009
• A Lark in the Snowstorm, 2006
• Moomin Voices/Muumilauluja - in Finnish, 2005
• Ball Play, 2003
• Moomin Voices/Muminröster - in Swedish, 2003
• Landmark, 2002
• Sound of Village, 2000
• Live At The Blue Note, recorded 1996, released 2000
• English Breakfast, 1999
• Announcement, 1998
• The Secret of the Castle, 1997
• Jazz Capital of the World, 1996
• Myths and Beliefs, 1996
• Reflections in Real Time, 1994

As a Sideman (playing with others)

• Nu ska vi sjunga, 2013 with Johanna Grüssner
• Svenska psalmer - Swedish Hymns, 2013 with Johanna Grüssner
• Zero, 2011 with Maria Neckam
• Live on Broadway, 2009 with Jill Walsh
• Provinciano, 2008, with Fernando Huergo
• Two for the Road, 2008 with Jill Walsh
• Suomalaisia Lauluja 2007 with Eeppi Ursin
• Live at the Savoy 2006 with Grupo Nuevo
• Swedish Traditional Songs, 2006 with Johanna Grüssner
• Grandes Éxitos del Tango, 2003 with Tango Republic
• Live at Regattabar 2002 with Fernando Huergo
• Still Alive, 2001 with Miguel Zenón
• Taste of Honey 1998 with Jill Walsh
• Improvisations, 1997 with George Garzone
• Johanna Grüssner Band, 1995 with Johanna Grüssner
• Orange, 1994 with Sophie Dunér

See also

• List of jazz pianists
• List of American composers
• List of Finnish composers