Esa Pietilä
Esa Pietilä is a Finnish saxophonist and composer (b. 1964) who works diversely on the field of contemporary music. He studied saxophone and composition in Sibelius- Academy jazz department in Helsinki and privately in US with David Liebman.
Career
Esa Pietilä started his career as a jazz musician and later on has expanded his expression to many different musical genres. He has performed with his jazz groups e.g. Liberty Ship, Esa Pietilä 3, with his duo collaborations with contemporary classical & new music chamber musicians, as soloist for chamber orchestras, other larger ensembles and performing totally free improvisations at his solo concerts. Pietilä has worked e.g. with conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, with Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. Pietilä has premiered the saxophone concerto of Kalevi Aho, Eero Hämeenniemi and Pietilä´s concerto "Graffiti Play" for chamber orchestra & contemporary jazz trio. His collabators on the field of jazz have been Paal Nilssen-Love, Harvey Sorgen, Michael Jefry Stevens, Mathias Eick, Jeff Siegel, Karl Berger, Mark Helias, Brian Melvin, Heiri Kaenzig, Christoph Baumann, Baenz Öster, Franziska Baumann, Mike Nock, Ron McClure, Claudio Fasoli, Anders Begcrantz, Odean Pope, Hilmar Jensson, Raoul Björkenheim. Markku Ounaskari, Ulf Krokfors, Iro Haarla.
List of works as a composer
- "Graffiti Play", concerto for Tenor Saxophone, contemporary Jazz Trio (ts, bs, drs) & chamber orchestra . F.P. 2014 by Esa-Pekka Salonen & Avanti! Chamber Orchestra
- Asterion, for 8 -piece chamber group, F.P. by Zagros ensemble 2014
- Seppo´s Hammer, for chamber strings & jazz quintet
- People People, for chamber strings & jazz quintet
- Ahead - Electric Microland, for tenor saxophone, accordion & live-electronics
- Colors of Liberation, for tenor saxophone
- Orbits, for electric kantele & tenor saxophone
- Three Strides of Light, for solo piano
- Lake of Clang, for saxophone quartet (SATB)
- Before Moon, for Big Band
- Labyrinth, for big band
- Big Fun, for 12 musicians
- Code Red, for Big Band
- House of Bells, for solo piano
- Mirage, for string quartet
- Tricks, for Big Band
- Turms, for Big Band
- Welho, for 12- piece jazz orchestra
- various pieces for jazz groups
- various chamber group pieces for mixed setups
- various solo pieces for saxophone
Discography
- Liberty Ship — The Wide Open Suite & Noises At Sea
- Liberty Ship — Approaching
- Esa Pietilä & Jeff Siegel — Out doors
- Brain Inventory Trio — The Wall
- Esa Pietilä, solo saxophone — Karhea
- Esa Pietilä Trio — Travel of Fulica atra
- Johannes Mössinger & Esa Pietilä — Natural Flow
- Esa Pietilä Trio — Direct
- Esa Pietilä Quintet — Fastjoik
- The Case — Codes