Verneri Pohjola, a Finnish trumpeter and composer, is one of the most celebrated and acclaimed Jazz artists in Europe. He possesses a commanding and unique voice that showcases both warmth and vibrancy in his playing. His writing is bold and creative, with a unique ability to write immersive and powerful melodies that highlight his individuality and progressive style.
With a string of successful releases and critical acclaim, his talent has not gone unnoticed. In 2015, Jazzwise Magazine called his album, ‘Bullhorn,’ “one of the finest albums of recent times” and hailed him as a “fully-fledged star”, shedding his ‘star-in-the-making’ mantle. He has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize nomination in 2021, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the Nordic music scene.
In August 2023, Pohjola premiered the trumpet concerto HUSH composed for him by composer Kaija Saariaho (1952-2023) in two sold-out concerts at the Helsinki Festival with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Susanna Mälkki. This collaboration highlights Verneri’s exceptional talent and his ability to push the boundaries of jazz music.
FACTS
1. I do not identify as a jazz musician although that is my education. I love the thought that we are all so fluid and flexible that there is no way (or need for that matter) to define us permanently.
2. Music is not the notes we play or the composition, but a very fragile, abstract and meaningful phenomenon capable of manipulating our sense of time.
3. Life is an opportunity to make noise.
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
My biggest inspiration is probably the need to improvise and make sounds, with different instruments. I have been doing this long before I even thought I was playing music. It is a hypnotizing thing to make a sound and then listen to it’s effect on the world.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I started originally being more interested in studying music through film music. I got some of my favorite cinema scores and just read through them while listening to the soundtrack cd’s.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
This is always such a difficult question, but let’s say:
-Anders Jormin: Jord
-Miles Davis: Filles de Kilimanjaro
-Tom Waits: Mule Variations
-Björk: Vespertine
-Queen: News of The World
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
When I was in school, I was fascinated with the cold war era Berlin. The idea of Germany divide in two and Berlin as a single city with the same fate just felt incredible, terrifying and mesmerizing. So the wall also was a big thing for my imagination. Although when I finally saw it, it seemed so much smaller than I had imagined it. Then later Berlin also has represented freedom in arts and values in general, cool people and very good food.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
In Helsinki? My current neighborhood is Myllypuro and there is a lot of nature surrounding this place. I love to go walking with my son or alone even. And this area is so perfect for just that so I will say Myllypuro. Here is also surprinsingly one of the best cafe’s in Helsinki called Yesterday.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Probably just walk in silence then :(
7. What was the last record/music you bought or listen?
I bought an album by Selma Savolainen, a brilliant young Finnish singer.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Most? Oh that is a tough question. I have already been blessed with so many incredible collaborations, I never even though possible. I’m also working among so many genres that naming just one is super difficult. But I would love to work on something quite abstract with Björk. I love her voice and powerful presence.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
The most memorable gig for me has probably been my record release concert for the album Bullhorn in 2015. We played the concert at the Finnish National Theater and it was just one of those moments where everything was magical. But there are of course many more that are the same kind of experiences, both me playing or just attending the concert as a part of the audience. For me the moment itself is always the unique thing that makes every concert, every note special. That is also why I like improvising so much.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
I technology in many ways in creating music. Sometimes technology is only present in helping me record or write down ideas, but I also enjoy combining acoustic and natural sound worlds with more electronic and even mechanical technologies. I do enjoy also just playing trumpet solo acoustically so it’s not something that absolutely HAS to be there.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
I do have siblings. I have a younger brother, who is close to me and helps me a lot with my career by taking care of my 13 year old son quite often for example. He is also a musician. We both have a very specific taste in music and appreciate the actual art very much.
