Teemu Kekkonen

Biography
Press

Finnish jazz pianist & composer Teemu Kekkonen is a rising star in the European scene.

Thoughtfully crafted compositions, cinematic harmonies, captivating grooves and familiar melodies are the cornerstones of his music. As a musician Teemu is oriented towards a narrative style and strives to create musical adventures which evoke emotions and diverse moods. As the basis for his improvisations Teemu uses the thematic material of the piece at hand, sometimes transforming it to raw and rugged cacophony, at times to a calm and collected contemplation.

Following the release of his 2021 four-track EP “Trio Live at Bimhuis”, Teemu self-releases his debut album Here/There on September 16th 2022 with compatriots Mikael Saastamoinen (bass) and Roope Kantonen (drums). Behind the seven original pieces and the one cover tune are real-life stories from the past ten years.

The album cover, designed by Teemu, is a rendition of the symbol in infinity which strives to relate his thoughts on creating music.
“In each individual’s experience, the past and present together create a unity from which we subconsciously draw ways of thinking and behaving. Creating music is similar for me. I fall into a timeless space where everything is possible and from which it’s possible to draw endless joy. From this space the music which I’ve been drawn to comes out in an intuitive way”, Teemu describes.

Raised on his father’s record collection, Teemu spent his early years listening to jazz pianists such as Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson, as well as homegrown heroes such as Iiro Rantala. At 13, after discovering the music of Chick Corea, Teemu made the decision to pursue a career in music. Later significant influences were such jazz pianists as Tigran Hamasyan and Brad Mehldau, as well as composers Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Joe Hisaishi. Teemu has always been equally drawn towards the distorted sounds of prog rock and metal acts like Porcupine Tree, Ayreon and Dream Theater.

In 2017 Teemu created the score for the short film “Hetkessä - In the Moment”, directed by Niikka Makkonen.

Teemu spent the 2010s playing piano in Mikko Sarvanne Hip Company, studying jazz & classical music and composition in Helsinki and Amsterdam Conservatories. During this time he recorded albums with Hip Company and other groups. Significant performances include Oslo Jazz Festival (2014), Pori Jazz Festival (2015), Viapori Jazz (2015) and Bimhuis (2020). Currently Teemu composes music for his upcoming album and for the third upcoming album the nordic jazz band Kama Kollektiv, and plays keyboards in the rock band Gentle Savage.