About

Musicians

Among the pioneers of the Finnish contemporary folk music movement, Dr Kristiina Ilmonen is a performing musician, composer, educator, researcher and folk music professional. She specialises in Finnish traditional music, wooden flutes, percussion and improvisation. Ilmonen performs solo with folk winds and in various ensembles, has toured in over 20 countries and plays on over 30 CDs. Currently, active ensembles include the Finnish woodwind ensemble Wind on Wind, Subsonic Trio and the Suunta ensemble. Free improvisation, contemporary dance, theatre and site-specific art have been important themes in her career as a musician. Ilmonen’s research interests include artistic research, historically informed performance, Finno-Ugric herding music, improvisation, collaborative creativity, historical Northern wind instruments, academic assessment and folk music pedagogy. She works since 2014 as Professor of Folk Music at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki.

Mimmi Laaksonen plays both traditional and modern recorders, Irish flute, harmonium and piano. She is specialized in Finno-Ugric and Nordic folk music and has studied both folk music and music education in Sibelius Academy. Mimmi has experience in working as a musician in hospital settings and nursing homes. Currently she works in high school teaching music. As a freelance musician, Mimmi plays in several bands, such as Helsinki Soundpainting Ensemble and Wind on Wind. http://mimmilaaksonen.com/

Kirsi Ojala is a musician with a wide range of traditional wind instruments: recorders and whistles, overtone flutes, wooden horns and mouth harps. She works in a variety of ensembles in the field of folk music and different fusions – composing, arranging and performing. Eppel&Peppel combines live music and storytelling, Sähköpaimen adds electronic music esthetics to archaic shepherds’ music and the Danish-Finnish duo FluteMachine performs classical contemporary music. Kirsi also works as a part-time teacher at the Sibelius Academy and she plays in the award-winning SibA Folk Big Band. During the last years, she has also collaborated with the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, Mikko H. Haapoja & Urban Park Orchestra and Puppet Theatre Ofelia, among others.
https://kirsiojala.com/

Leena Laitinen is a recorder player and music teacher. She is specialized in early music and music education. She has worked in various cross-cultural projects with dance, opera, medieval music and pop music. Often in these projects and bands, Leena also works as a singer. Her playing and singing can be heard for example in the albums of Milargo, New Better Spring Band, and Wind on Wind.

Jonas Simonson – one of Sweden’s most established, innovative flute players within folk and world music. For the past 30 years he has traveled the globe with his music. As an artist, he has had a great impact on the innovative Swedish folk music scene and his intense, rhythmical and personal style of playing can be listened to on numerous albums by i.e. Groupa, Den Fule, Bäsk and the Crane Dance Trio. http://simonson.nu/

Göran Månsson – one of the most exciting and dynamic flutists of Sweden today. Göran’s roots lie in Haverö, Mid-Eastern Sweden, where he inherited the talent of his ancestors, passing on that very music till today. With a background as a percussionist, Göran brings his percussive skills into his style of playing, which makes his flute playing swing like never heard before. Beside his soloprojects Göran plays with the Göran Månsson Band and Frispel. http://goranmansson.se/