Timo Alakotila

Timo Alakotila is one of Finland’s busiest, most versatile and most in-demand musicians, as composer, arranger, pianist and harmonium player in folk, classical, jazz and pop fields. His career began in 1982 in Kaustinen, Finland as harmonium player and founder member of the fiddle group JPP, who quickly established themselves as the best and most innovative fiddle music group in Finland. During their twenty-five career, JPP (www.thejpp.fi) has released nine albums, including the critical favourite, String Tease. They’ve toured the world, including Thailand, Egypt, North America and all over Scandinavia and Europe. Timo composes, arranges and performs with accordionist Maria Kalaniemi, previously in the group Aldargaz and more recently in the Maria Kalaniemi Trio (CD: Tokyo Concerts) and in the Kalaniemi / Alakotila duo (CD: Ambra). Timo is harmonium player and composer with folk music quintet Troka with three albums released. He also composes, arranges and performs with Troka accordionist Johanna Juhola (duo CD forthcoming) and British accordionist Karen Tweed (CDs: May Monday and Midnight May Monday). Alakotila is also a member, composer or arranger in groups Nordik Tree with JPP’s Arto Järvelä and Sweden’s Hans Kennemark and UNTO Tango Orchestra with Pirjo Aittomäki, Hannu Rantanen and others. He has also composed and arranged music for: Värttinä, Hannu Ilmolahti, Järvelän Näppärit, Tsuumi dance group, Hannu Kella, female vocal group Kaira, vocal group Rajaton, Japanese singer HaLo, British singer Bill Jones, Finnish group Vissinki, BBC Concert Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Pori Sinfonietta, Finnish opera singer Jorma Hynninen, Tempera String Quartet, UMO Jazz Orchestra, SAMA Folk Baroque Ensemble. Alakotila has produced several Finnish folk music albums by Aldargaz, Tallari, Hannu Seppänen, Burlakat, Loituma, Tsuumi, Johanna Juhola and Milla Viljamaa, Las Chicas del Tango and The Kouhot. Larger composition projects include: “Folkmoods West”, an extended four part work for big band, string orchestra, guitars and accordion, UMO Jazz Orchestra, the 14 piece JPP String Orchestra, guitarists Jarmo Saari and Petri Hakala, pianist Seppo Kantonen and accordionist Minna Luoma. Subsequent to “Folkmoods West” Alakotila composed “Concerto for Accordion”, with chamber orchestra and Troka accordionist Johanna Juhola. More recently was “Sinfonia Concertante” for UMO big band and accordionist Maria Kalaniemi and music for the Tsuumi dance group, an extended work entitled “Laulu Tulipunaisesta Kukasta”. In 2004, Alakotila was commissioned to compose new music, “Moraine”, for the BBC Concert Orchestra for a special concert on September 30 in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall with the Orchestra and guest star, accordionist Maria Kalaniemi. Alakotila also composed music for “Valkoinen Peura”, a ninety minute piece for ten musicians with performances was in Lapland, 2004. Alakotila more recently composed and arranged tango pieces and performed these plus “Moraine” with JPP and Stavanger Symphony in Stavanger, Norway, 2006. Alakotila’s “Concerto for Accordion” was performed in Germany , Folk-Baltica Festival, and Denmark by Johanna Juhola and Nord-Deutscher Sinfonietta . Recorded by radio in Flensburg Germany. In addition: Alakotila co-arranged and co-produced music for a Finnish Eurovision program interval segment, 2007. Grants: Alakotila has received two consecutive 5 year composer’s grant from Finnish Ministry of Education.