Senior Lieutenant Lassi Ikäheimo, Eb-cornet / band leader

Senior Lieutenant Lassi Ikäheimo began his trumpet studies with Esa Ahonen and Erkki Eskelinen at the Lieksa Music Institute and in the Lieksa Youth Wind Orchestra in 1975. He then proceeded via the Sibelius Academy Military Music Department having studied with trumpetist Pertti Kulku to the Guards' Band as trumpeter in 1984. Five years later he qualified as a trumpet teacher, having studied with Heimo Savolainen at the Helsinki Conservatory, and as an assistant conductor at the Military Music School. Lassi Ikäheimo has made a name for himself as a champion of Finnish brass septet culture. On founding the Guards' Septet within the Guards' Band in 1988, his idea was to widen the potential uses of the Finnish brass septet and to make this, possibly the most Finnish of all line-ups, better known internationally. Lassi Ikäheimo also played trumpet in Jean S. -show band from 1992-2005. Other roles include that of producer of the Viapori Jazz festival and the Suo, Kuokka ja Jussi rhythm band.

Senior Lieutenant Hannu Raijas, Bb-cornet

Senior Lieutenant Antero Suvilaakso, Bb-cornet

Senior Lieutenant Antero Suvilaakso, Bb-cornet

Staff Sergeant Raine Kasper, Eb-alto horn

Music Senior Lieutenant Sami Hannula

Music Senior Lieutenant Sami Hannula, conductor, tenor horn- and trombone professional. Mr Hannula has been the first person to graduate from the Sibelius-Academy new wind instrument conductor class. He has been working as a conductor at The Guards Band since 2006. Mr Hannulas instrument is trombone, and he is one of the founders of Helsinki Brass Quintet. Helsinki Brass Quintet is well- known both domestically and internationally. He has also studied in several institutes; Päijät- Häme Conservatory, Göteborg Music Polytechnic and Sibelius Academy. He has had such instructors as Teppo Alestalo, Ingemar Roos, Kalervo Kulmala, Atso Almila, Kari Tikka, Jorma Panula and Leonid Korchmar. Hannula trains regularly different Brass Bands in Finland. He has also the honour to teach and conduct in Lieksa Brass Week, and in Lohja and Raudaskylä music camps. In addition, Mr Hannula is the chairman of Wind band Music Union of Finland.

Senior Lieutenant Jouko Auramo, Bb-tenor horn

Sergeant Matts Remell, Bb- baritone horn (Euphonium)

Remell started his career in the Finnish Defence Forces trainee military music band in 2000, and in Pohjanmaa military music band in 2001-2003. He continued his studies in Lahti Conservatory under Juha Salmelas guidance till 2007. He has served in The Guards Bands baritone player position since 2005.

Sergeant Antto Pesonen, tuba

Antto Pesonen has been working at The Guards Band since 2000. He has studied tube playing under the guidance of Juha Salmela. He has also attended several advanced level courses, and graduated with a MA Degree from Sibelius Academy in 2008. Mr Pesonen teaches also on a regular basis tube- and eufonium playing in music institutes.Lieutenant Thomas Rönnholm, percussion.

Staff Sergeant Toni Kulku, percussion

Toni Kulku has worked in The Guards Band since1999. He has graduated from Helsinki Conservatory with a degree inpercussion pedagogy in 2003, and continued his music science studies in Jyvaskyla University. He is also teaching percussion instruments in the East Helsinki music institute. Musician Toni Kulku hasperformed for example in The National Opera, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestraand Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. At the moment Kulku has greatemphasis on his Ph.D.

Sami Hannula, ( Narva project, Japan Christmas Tour)

VISITING CONDUCTORS:
Elias Seppälä (Angel Music project)
Harri Karri (Three Kings project)
Hannu Norjanen ( Fanfare for the Common Man project)

MAIN SOLOIST:
Jouko Harjanne (Narva, Angel Music, Fanfare for the Common Man project) http://www.joukoharjanne.com/

Esko Heikkinen

Mr.Esko Heikkinen, is a trumpet player and a conductor. He was born 4.7.1953 at Kuusjärvi in Finland. He started playing the trumpet when he was 14 at the Outokumpu wind orchestra and started moving towards a professional career at a young age with his father, Unto Heikkinen, at dance bands.

His career took him to Kontioranta Military Wind band in 1970 and continued in the Military Music Department of the Sibelius Academy in 1973-74. In the Guard's Band he was the lead trumpeter in 1975-1983. His first contact with jazz-music was with the Tapiola Big Band, and the flagship of Finnish professional big bands, UMO, joined him in their ranks in 1976. Also important was his work in the Jukka Linkola Octet. Esko Heikkinen received the Yrjö award of the Finnish Jazz-Association in 1998. His current work is done mainly in the UMO Big-Band as a concert master and lead-trumpeter.

Heikkinen has also received admiration for his magnificient brass-band arrangements. They are easiest to catch with his own band, Super Brass.

In the 90:s Esko Heikkinen has become one of the most influential Big Band lead trumpeters. He has, to name a few, performed with these artists: Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Gil Evans, Joe Henderson, Thad Jones, Benny Golson, Dave Liebman, Arturo Sandoval, NHOP, Toots Thielemans, Mc Coy Tyner, Bob Brookmayer, Clark Terry, Dexter Gordon, Jon Faddis, Louie Bellson, Randy Brecker, Joe Williams, Freddie Hubbard, Michael Brecker, Marvin Stamm, Ray Andersson, John Scofield, The Manhattan Transfer (tour w), Mike Westbrook, Carla Bley, Natalie Cole ( tour w).

Read review;of the book by the International Trumpet Guild.

Jukka Perko (Funkkis project)

Severi Pyysalo (Funkkis project)

Kai Ruskeepää, sax.