Pekka Pylkkänen - saxophonist

Pekka Pylkkänen (b. 23 September 1964, Helsinki, Finland) is a saxophonist, composer, jazz artist and educator, who has worked with many orchestras and groups during his career. Additionally, he has participated as a sideman with greats such as Vince Mendoza, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Mercer Ellington, Bob Mintzer, Dave Liebman, Michael Abene, Odean Pope, and many others.

Pekka's own group has performed in Finland, Denmark, Norway, The United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, The United States, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Japan. He has appeared in more than five-hundred concerts abroad during the past eight years.

Pekka has held master classes in improvisation, composition, ensemble playing and more, at Ingesund College of Music (Sweden), PAN School of Music (Tokyo Japan), Nagasaki University (Japan), EMU Education Musical (La Plata/Argentina), Collegium CEIM (Córdoba/Argentina), Souza Lima Conservatory (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Universidad de Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil), EMESP Tom Jobim (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Escuela de Musica Contemporanea (Buenos Aires/Argentina), Jazz House Lima (Lima/Peru), ISIM Conference (Chicago/USA), IASJ Meetings (Helsinki/Finland, Siena/Italy), MIDI School of Music (Beijing/China), Shanghai University (China), Contemporary Music Institute (Beijing/China), Institute for Performing Arts (Beijing/China), Carl Nielsen Academy /Denmark), Hong Kong Institute for Education, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Koyo Conservatory (Kobe/Japan), Tokyo College of Music (Japan).

His two first CDs were released by Naxos Jazz. The latest album, on Blue Music Group, is called "Listen!".