The highlight of the Summer

8.2.2024

Korpo Sea Jazz is a very special festival. It seamlessly combines great music, incredibly beautiful nature and environment, warm people and their immediate, memorable encounters. What else could you want from a summer trip?

The things mentioned above are also the things that especially stuck in my mind when I played at a festival for the first time, years ago. When you experience things like this as a musician, you hope to play at the same event again someday. What also stuck in my mind about Korppoo is that there are concerts in very different venues, each of which is very special and great in its own way. I feel that every venue provides a great setting for art to flourish. For example, the atmospheric archipelago museum and the church take the music to new directions and feed the musicians inspiration. Such experiences are memorable for both musicians and listeners, and I feel that these are the experiences that keep me going as a musician; something happens that I can´t expect, something new. Such experiences keep the mind bright and the art fresh.

One concert that I would like to highlight in particular is the outdoor concert on the Barefoot Path. When I first saw this venue, I was totally blown away. The concept is so ingenious and great: it combines music and nature in a truly unique way. When the musicians play in the middle of the forest, it sounds warm and natura when the echo surface are trees and leaves. The atmosphere is palpable. I feel that everyone should get to experience this unique concert format. Korpo Sea Jazz has really succeeded in creating such a unique art experience that it is challenging to find another similar one. I myself have never seen or experienced a similar event. It is precisely because of such experiences that everyone who has been to the festival wants to come again.

Because of all these things mentioned above, it is a great honor and joy that I was asked to be the artistic director of the year. Many thanks for that. It has been a really interesting and new kind of experience for me to work in such a position. It has been refreshing to look and think about things outside of my main job description. It has been both interesting and challenging to plan the performers of the festival because there are so many great jazz artists in Finland. I feel that the program turned out to be a very interesting and refreshing mix of different artists and concerts. I like both acoustic and electric jazz and wanted to include both worlds in the program. I think it is great that the festival has both intimate smaller concerts yet also bigger and louder concerts. The program is nicely versatile.

Every concert will be a special and memorable experience. There is certainly something for everyone. I am also looking forward to being able to play in Aspö chapel where I have not been before. I can´t wait for this festival to happen! Welcome to everyone to enjoy this unique summer experience, let make it the highlight of the summer together!

Joonas Tuuri
Korpo Sea Jazz 
The Artistic Director 2024