Tuomas J. Turunen (b. 1985) is a jazz pianist, composer and educator based in Helsinki, Finland. After working many years as a sideman, alongside with renowned Finnish Jazz Vocalists, he has released his first album as a leader in October 2018. The album, entitled “Megetme”, consists entirely of Turunen’s compositions for jazz trio and quartet. It features Manuel Dunkel on saxophones, who is one of the Finland’s most acclaimed saxophonists today.
Born in Rautavaara, he spent his childhood in Kesälahti, Eastern Finland where he began piano lessons at the age of 10. From the beginning he was playing by ear and composing tunes of his own, and the classical piano lessons hadn’t offered that freedom of expression what he had been searching for. While on his teens Tuomas finally found his own musical path in jazz. He began listening to records from Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Mel Tormé and John Coltrane. Because of the influence of Evans, the piano trio sound became the closest to him. Tormé’s music taught him to listen to the melody and the lyrics.
When Tuomas was 20 years old he fulfilled his biggest dream – to study in the renowned jazz department of Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Since then he has been living in Helsinki and has established himself as a jazz pianist as well as versatile music professional. Turunen’s work as a pianist, composer and arranger can be heard in more than 10 album releases.
A versatile musician, Turunen can succesfully function in different kinds of musical environments even though jazz is his main domain. He has performed a large variety of musical constellations varying from classical music to pop/rock, blues and jazz. In new kind of musical situations he always attempts to make his musical contribution to sound like his own.
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