Alexi Tuomarila


Alexi Tuomarila is a Finnish jazz pianist and composer.
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Biography

Born in Pori, Finland, Alexi Tuomarila started studying classical piano at the age of six at the Espoo Music Academy, Finland. As a teenager he was enthusiastic about rock and grunge music before digging deeper into jazz through his father's record collection. In 1993 Tuomarila was accepted to Oulunkylä pop/jazz Conservatory in Helsinki, Finland. Next year, in 1994 he continued his studies under Diederik Wissels and Nathalie Loriers at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and earned his Master of Music degree in 1999. Currently Tuomarila is working on his doctoral research at the University of Arts, Sibelius Academy, Helsinki.
During his studies he formed his Quartet with Nicolas Kummert, Christophe Devisscher, and Teun Verbruggen. In 1999 his quartet won the award for best band and Tuomarila won the prize for best soloist at the "21st Hoeilaart International Jazz Competition" Belgium. In 2001, he received the first prize at the "3rd International Jazz Soloist Competition" in Monaco, and he won the "10th International Tremplin Jazz Competition" in Avignon with his quartet.
The Alexi Tuomarila Quartet also won the first prize at the "5th International Granada Jazz Competition" in Spain 2005.
The quartet recorded and released three albums Voices of Pohjola for Igloo Records 2001, the Emma Award nominee 02 for Finlandia Records - Warner Music Group 2003, and Runo X for Edita Cambeya 2007.
Alexi Tuomarila Quartet changed the name of the group into Drifter and welcomed Axel Gilain as a bass player/vocalist. Drifter recorded and released the critically acclaimed Flow album for Edition Records, UK in 2015.
In 2005 Tuomarila formed his renowned trio, with Norwegian bassist Mats Eilertsen and Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori. The trio has released four critically acclaimed albums: Constellation for Jazzaway Records, Seven Hills, Kingdom and Sphere for distinguished British Edition Records.
The latest album Sphere earned Tuomarila the prestigious Emma award for "Jazz album of the year".
British BBC Music Magazine gave the album five stars and selected it as the "Jazz album of the month".
Tuomarila played a decade, from 2007 until 2017, with the Polish trumpet player Tomasz Stańko in different band combinations. Their first concert together was at the 750th anniversary of the city of Kraków.
During 2009–2014 Tuomarila played with Tomasz Stanko Quintet toured around the world and also recorded the Dark Eyes for ECM Records, 2010, which reached number five in the Polish pop charts.
Between 2015 and 2017 Tuomarila performed and toured with the Tomasz Stanko NY Quartet in Europe, China and Australia with Gerald Cleaver and Reuben Rogers
In 2023, the Tapiola Sinfonietta and the Alexi Tuomarila Trio, featuring Sami Rahola on electronics, premiered Tuomarila's concerto "Between Dark and Light" for symphony orchestra at the April Jazz Festival in Tapiolasali, Espoo Cultural Centre. The concerto was conducted by Jukka Iisakkila.
Tuomarila has also shared the stage with i.a. Eric Revis, Thomas Morgan (bassist), Reggie Washington, Joey Baron, Kenny Wheeler, Anders Jormin, Kush Abadey, Jim Black, Nelson Veras, Perico Sambeat, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Eero Koivistoinen, Peter Erskine, Bill Evans (saxophonist) Anders Bergcrantz, Rick Margitza, Maciej Obara.

Awards

Discography

Solo albums

Alexi Tuomarila
  • 2024: Departing the Wasteland
Alexi Tuomarila Trio
  • 2006: Constellation
  • 2013: Seven Hills
  • 2017: Kingdom
  • 2019: Sphere
Alexi Tuomarila Quartet
  • 2001: Voices of Pohjola
  • 2003: 02
  • 2007: Runo X
Drifter
  • 2015: Flow
Alvarado/Koivistoinen/Tuomarila
  • 2019: Alma
D.O.P.A.
  • 2024: Vivid Dreams

Collaborations

Tomasz Stańko Quintet
Lithium
Eero Koivistoinen 'Quartet
  • 2014: Hati Hati
  • 2016: Illusions
  • 2022: Diversity
Manuel Dunkel Quartet
  • 2010: A Step Forward
  • 2019: Discoveries
  • 2021: Northern Journey
Lionel Beuvens MOTU
  • 2013: Trinite
  • 2017: Earthsong
  • 2022: 49 Steps to Heaven
André Fernandes Dream Keeper
  • 2016: Dream Keeper
Mats Eilertsen SkyDive Quintet
  • 2014: SkyDive
Nicolas Kummert Voices
  • 2014: Liberte
Andre Sumelius Quartet
Tolonen'