The last post was in November 2022, and now I’m already writing again… it’s way too frequent, I know, but I’ll make it short.

The new version of Maqiano Microtuning System will be unveiled very soon !!! It’s gonna be even more revolutionary than the old one. More stable, much less alteration to the timbre… and most importantly – no more buzz/crack/distortion – even in the low copper-wound strings !!! Stay tuned, more info in a couple of weeks!

Wishamalii is doing well! The debut album al-Bahr got the Indie Award, and was nominated for the Emma Award and its German equivalent Der Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik !!! The reviews have been praising, and some nice gigs are coming up, see the upcoming concerts here!

Orchestra Nazionale della Luna is doing fine too, the third album Selene’s View has taken us to festivals like Gaume Jazz Festival, April Jazz, Brussels Jazz Weekend, European Jazz Conference, Colmar Jazz Festival and Tampere Jazz Happening. The third album of Quartet Ajaton will be released in the autumn. The duo with clarinet master Claudio Puntin will get more active soon. And my post as the artistic director of Oulu Music Festival will continue at least for one more year.

Welcome back in three years, there will most probably be more news by then !!!

I know, I haven’t been too active posting news here… Many nice things have happened: In the summer I played a couple of concerts in Europe with my dear old trio, first time since Feb 2020… felt so good! Some very nice festivals here and there also with Quartet Ajaton, John Hollenbeck Quartet, Iceland’s Liberation Orchestra etc… and in the autumn had some very nice tours – in Finland, Estonia and Hungary with Quartet Ajaton, in Belgium with Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, and a fabulous solo tour in Japan and Australia, following by a couple of inspiring gigs in Finland with Jeff Denson and Gerald Cleaver.

Jesse Passennier’s album “Fight for Light” was recently released… including a piano concerto he wrote for me! It was recorded a year ago in Alicante with the great ADDA Simfònica and maestro Josep Vicent !!! More info here.

Future activities Dec-May include concerts and recordings with Ara Yaralyan’s new band and Vilkka Wahl’s KAIHO ensemble, a concert at Global Fest with our new exciting band Wishamalii, a few gigs with Quartet Ajaton, a very special new duo with Australian bassist/singer Helen Svoboda at Iisalmi Jazz Festival, rehearsing new music for our 3rd album with Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, and a tour in Finland with my new Quartet Al-Qantara: Kheir-eddine M’Kachiche, Anders Jormin and Markku Ounaskari !!! And another super exciting new duo with the extraordinary Belgian saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol… so much great things to look forward, and to compose & practise for. Happy times ahead!

Wed 20.4. Jõgeva, Cultural Center (EE)

Thu 21.4. Abja, Kultuurimaja (EE)

Sun 24.4. Berlin, B-Flat-Berlin, w. special guest Claudio Puntin (DE)

(April 28 & 29 participating in jazzahead! Trade Fair in Bremen)

Sat 30.4. Krefeld, Burg Linn, International Day of Jazz (DE)

Wed 4.5. Lyon, Le Périscope, w. special guest Louis Sclavis (FR)

Thu 5.5. Avignon, Ajmi (FR)

Sun 8.5. House concert in Vannes (FR)

Tue 10.5. Strasbourg, Jazzdor (FR)

Fri 13.5. München, Jazzclub Unterfahrt (DE)

Sat 14.5. Bielefeld, Bunker Ulmenwall (DE)

Sun 15.5. Heidelberg, Enjoy Jazz (DE)

Wed 18.5. w. Daniel Sommer Quartet, Copenhagen, Christiania Jazz Club (DK)

Thu 19.5. Stockholm, Finlandsinstitutet, w. special guest Per “Texas” Johansson (SE)

Big thanks to Suomen Kulttuurirahasto for support, and to Toivo Tuberik , Vapaat äänet / Charles Gil and Ralph Gluch for their help in the booking.

Video by Antti Kujanpää. The low carbon emissions are compesated by istutapuita.fi

My new invention, the revolutionary Maqiano™ micro-tuning system for acoustic piano is now ready and available !!! More info at maqiano.com

Hope this year will be better than the 2 previous ones !!!

In Finland live music is forbidden again, but luckily elsewhere art & culture is more appreciated. Next solo concert is at the Kölner Philharmonie Sat, Feb 5, looking so much forward !!! And Orchestra Nazionale della Luna gets finally to Belgium, inchallah… this tour was cancelled & rebooked soooo many times already. In April-May I’ll do a long flight-free Low-CO₂ solo piano tour: St. Petersburg, Baltics, Poland, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden… a lot of time in trains, all alone – I’m quite excited about that !!! Some interesting new collaborations coming up, some recordings too… I’ll tell more soon!

And I’m happy to see that my solo piano album has made it to “best of 2021” lists on three continents: Europe Jazz Media Chart, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and New York City Jazz Record !!!

My solo piano album “Impressions, Improvisations & Compositions” has finally been released worldwide on Ozella Music !!! Music, video & all the info here!

Happy to tell that my solo piano album “Impressions, Improvisations & Compositions” has now been released in Finland by German label Ozella Music!

The international release was postponed again due to different corona-related issues, and will take place January 8, 2021 !!!

Also my concerts abroad seem very unsure for now… but at least i play a lot in Finland. The tour dates are here, welcome to the shows!

Orchestra Nazionale Della Luna‘s new album “There’s Still Life on Earth” is out now on BMC Records! Read the press release & liner notes and listen to samples here!

Unfortunately the release tour (April 2 to 9) got coronated and had to be postponed to October 21 to 27. More info to come soon. But the album is out anyway, and it’s fantastic !!!

Enjoying the sun & the seafood in Andalucia until mid-February, writing lots of new music and playing only a few gigs here and there. Feels good!

Kari Ikonen Trio’s “Wind, Frost & Radiation” tour continues again:

May 31 Munich, Unterfahrt (DE)
Jun 1 Brussels, Jazz Station (BE)
Jun 24 Rochester Intl Jazz Festival (US)
Jun 25 New York, Scandinavia House (US)