Fredagar på Sibbe: Juhani Aaltonen & Raoul Björkenheim – Sibelius-museo Skip to main content

Fredagar på Sibbe: Juhani Aaltonen & Raoul Björkenheim

27.02.2026 19:00 – 20:15

Standard price 25€ +order fee (from 1,50 € + 0,65 % of the order)

Students/pensioners/children 20€ +order fee (from 1,50 € + 0,65 % of the order)

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Juhani Aaltonen – flute
Raoul Björkenheim – guitar

Juhani Aaltonen is a living finnish jazz legend, a true icon of the spirit of free improvisation, whose soulful playing spans six decades. Known mainly for his tenor sax, “Junnu” focuses on flutes in this duo and creates a lyrical music world with Raoul who contributes 6- and 12-string colours on his electric guitar. Their ESP-like communication allows them to create new pieces on the fly, which they intersperse with original compositions. Both Junnu and Raoul spent years collaborating with another Finnish icon, Edward Vesala, whose music stands out for its unfettered originality, and they are both prominent in the Vesala discography.

Raoul Björkenheim is a Finnish-American guitarist and composer who has been creating original music for the past four decades living in New York City and Helsinki, where he is presently based. Describing his on-going work as investigative guitarism, he is best known for an expressionistic and lyrical guitar style. Björkenheim’s eclectic discography numbers 50+ albums, ranging from ambient soundscapes to visceral freejazz, from duo to big band. His large-scale works for symphony orchestra have yet to be recorded, and he has also composed scores for over ten films and dance productions.

https://raoulbjorkenheim.com

Tickets can be purchased at the museum’s ticket desk from January 21, 2026 onward.

The year 2026 marks 100 years since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland aboard the Andania ship. The centenary celebration, Jazz in Finland 100, will highlight Finnish jazz and its artists at home and abroad, recognising jazz as an integral part of Finland’s cultural heritage. The Jazz in Finland 100 campaign is coordinated by the Finnish Jazz Federation.