ALAKOTILAJUHOLA_ENGL
TIMO ALAKOTILA & JOHANNA JUHOLA DUO
JOHANNA JUHOLA (accordions)
TIMO ALAKOTILA (piano)
Texicalli Records released Timo Alakotila’s and Johanna Juhola’s first joint album Vapaassa Tilassa (In a free space) on 19 September 2007. The album includes the duo’s compositions that lean towards folk music. The ethos behind the Vapaassa Tilassa album was to use an improvisation style familiar to jazz music in traditional folk music. The album also involves a bevy of distinguished guest musicians: Aili Ikonen (vocals), Pekka Kuusisto (violin), Jouni Järvelä (soprano saxophone) Petri Hakala (mandolin) and Roger Tallroth (guitar). Thanks to the various backgrounds of the guest musicians, the folk-improvisation takes-off in many directions.
The duo´s second album, "Amicum," (Åkerö Records) was released in March 2023.
The duo also collaborates internationally as members of the Tango orchestra Unto, and Juhola has performed and recorded Alakotila's concerto for accordion and chamber orchestra. Alakotila and Juhola regularly conduct folk music improvisation-themed lecture-demonstrations for students and teachers at the Sibelius Academy.
The duo has been playing together for about 20 years and has performed widely in their home country and European countries. Individually, both musicians have performed in several dozen countries.
Artist Professor Timo Alakotila is one of the key innovators and trailblazers in Finnish folk music. He has been involved in around 250 recordings as a musician, composer, arranger, and/or producer. Alakotila is a highly sought-after collaborator in various music genres such as folk music, jazz, and classical music, working with top artists and orchestras in both Finland and internationally. Timo serves as the artistic director of the Kaukas EloFolk festival and has received numerous awards and recognition for his work.
Accordionist Johanna Juhola has redefined the perception of the accordion with her performances and compositions. Juhola has released six solo albums and presents her fantasy tango music with her ensembles Johanna Juhola Reaktori and Trio and her innovative visual concert concept Imaginary Friends. Crossing genre boundaries, Juhola has collaborated with top names in classical, jazz, pop, and electronic music. In 2022, she was awarded the NPU Prize for her compositions by the Nordic music creators' organizations.