About this Artist
Trumpeter-composer Verneri Pohjola has created a unique playing style over the past 20 years, recognizable at first hearing. His playing is imbued with warmth, calmness, and strong and expressive improvisation. The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said Pohjola has “emerged as Finland’s most human-sounding, emotionally intelligent trumpeter.”
Born into a family of artists, Pohjola started playing the trumpet at the age of 15. His enthusiasm for music grew with rock and jazz, but film music also played a strong role in his decision to take up the trumpet. He studied at the Pop & Jazz Conservatory, the Örebro Academy of Music, and the Sibelius Academy, where he graduated with a Master of Music degree in 2012.
At the beginning of the millennium, he became known through the bands Ilmiliekki Quartet, Quintessence, and Q-Continuum. His Emma-awarded debut album Aurora (Texicalli Records 2009/ACT 2011) exploded on the European and American jazz scenes, garnering rave reviews on both continents.
With his latest album, Ancient History (ACT 2012), Pohjola cemented his place as one of Europe’s most respected jazz musicians. Since then, he has released four albums through the British label Edition Records, the latest of which is The Dead Don’t Dream, released in May 2020.
Pohjola’s awards include a nomination for the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize in 2021; the Yrjö Prize, Finland’s highest award for a jazz musician, in 2017; and the Emma Award for the best jazz album of the year for Bullhorn in 2015.
In August 2023, Pohjola premiered the trumpet concerto HUSH, composed for him by Kaija Saariaho, in two sold-out concerts during the Helsinki Festival with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Susanna Mälkki.
In the coming years, Pohjola plans to focus on composing his own music, orchestral projects, and his quartet, as well as continuing to perform and record regularly with other European artists.