Juhani Aaltonen and Mikko Innanen nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize

Finnish jazz saxophonists Juhani Aaltonen and Mikko Innanen have been nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize 2011.

The theme of the prize changes yearly. This time, the award will be given to an individual musician (instrumentalist or vocalist), who has achieved innovation in music with improvisation as a bearing element. In addition, the Prize values musicians whose "efforts are co-creative and important for the form, sound and contexts of the musical expression". The nominees must have been worthy of attention on the Nordic or international stage within the last year, 2010.

75-year-old Juhani Aaltonen has had a long career as jazz musician, but he is still in the lead of the Finnish jazz. His latest group Juhani Aaltonen Quartet released a highly esteemed album Conclusions in December 2009, and the group has performed on important international platforms since then.

Mikko Innanen, on the other hand, represent the young virtuoso generation of Finnish jazz. Born in 1978, Innanen has already released over 15 albums with his various groups, and even more as a sideman. His latest release with Mikko Innanen & Innkvisitio, Clustrophy (2010), has received much acclaim for its sonic innovation.

Altogether 12 musicians are competing for the prize. Information on all of the nominees is available on www.musikpris.org. The winner will be announced on 1 June 2011, and the prize will be presented at the Nordic Council Session in Copenhagen in November.

Merja Hottinen / Fimic
11 March, 2011