Agricolankatu 5 A 22
00530 Helsinki
Finland

http://www.johannajuhola.net

"Juhola is, along with Kimmo Pohjonen and Maria Kalaniemi, one of the great innovators of accordion music." Tero Salonen, Anna 15.6.2006 (Johanna Juh

public contact

• phone: +358 40 5351840
• email: virpi.salomaa@festium.fi

business contact

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activities

• Artist
  • Agent/Booker
  • Band/Soloist
  • Composer/Songwriter

visited events

• virtualWOMEX

company description

JOHANNA JUHOLA (born 1978) graduated as master of music on accordion from the Sibelius Academy, folk music department, 2008. In 2000, she won the International Astor Piazzolla competition with the Novjaro Quintet, and in 2002 Johanna Juhola and the pianist Milla Viljamaa were awarded the International Citta di Castelfidaro prize. Johanna rose to more extensive public awareness in the spring of 2007 when she performed her commissioned composition Fantasiatango as one of the opening numbers of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Johanna Juhola's debut album Miette was released in spring 2006 (Texicalli Records), and it features Johanna's fascination with fusing and mixing other musical genres that exude passion with tango nuevo. The Miette album was recorded with the assistance of a diverse and talented group of musicians. Johanna performs her music together with the Johanna Juhola Reaktori and Johanna Juhola Trio.

Johanna Juhola has composed music for numerous dance, theatre and circus performances as well as for films and tv fictions.
Within the sphere of orchestral music, Johanna has appeared in 2002-2009 as a guest performer with various ensembles in performances of Timo Alakotila's composition Concerto for Free Bass Accordion and Chamber Orchestra, as one of the soloists in the Tapiola Sinfonietta's Symphonic Fantasies project and performing Astor Piazzollas chamber music.

In addition to her own ensembles, Reaktori and Trio, Johanna Juhola performs in the groups Spontaani Vire, Duo Milla Viljamaa & Johanna Juhola, Kraft, Troka, Tango Orchestra Unto, Timo Alakotila & Johanna Juhola Duo and Las Chicas del Tango.

Johannas next cd will be released in February 2010 by Texicalli Records. It will include tunes played by both Johanna Juhola Reaktori and Johanna Juhola Trio.

Some reviews:
"Johanna Juhola is doing to accordion in the 21st century what Maria Kalaniemi did in the 1990's - she combines time-tied musical phenomena into her own, forward-oriented style that reaches an audience outside the traditional folk music circles too. Juhola's Miette is a convincing solo debut - she has already been an influential member of several bands. Her skills show not only in the virtuosic playing and vivid compositions, but also in her brilliant collaboration with guest musicians."
Kare Eskola, Rondo 7/2006 (Johanna Juhola: Miette album review)

"Johanna Juhola follows her own path as a musician and composer and gives new features to accordion as an instrument."
Kimmo Mattila, Hanuri 2/2006 (Johanna Juhola: Miette album review)

"Juhola is, along with Kimmo Pohjonen and Maria Kalaniemi, one of the great innovators of accordion music. Disruptions are contrasted to beauty, storm to calm, childhood to aging and cheerfulness to pomposity. Unforgettable and impossibly beautiful."
Tero Salonen, Anna 15.6.2006 (Johanna Juhola: Miette album review)

"To get an ensemble like this to make the music is a real jackpot for any performance. Johanna Juhola is not only one of our leading accordion artists but a charismatic performer as well."
Tove Djupsjöbacka, Huvudstadsbladet 15.9.2009 (review of Tango Roto show with Johanna Juhola Reaktori)

"The best part of this tango show is the orchestra. A tip for friends of Argentinean tango Nuevo: the band in the Tango Roto show is excellent. Johanna Juhola Reaktori performs the compositions of Johanna Juhola and Milla Viljamaa with phenomenal skill and wonderful passion."
Mika Saarelainen, Helsingin Sanomat 14.9.2009 (Tango Roto show review)

"These super-skilled musicians make genuine, original entertainment as they venture from the fields of accordion and violin to any sounds or genres of music…Johanna Juhola plays Kraft's contemporary-ethnic-jazz-prog-fusion as her native language."
Kare Eskola, Rondo 3/2009 (Kraft: "Max Höjd" album review)