Eero Saunamäki

Saunamäki Solutions Oy

Helsinki, Uusimaa

I am a versatile musician and Finland's best-known professional recorder player. I have performed as a soloist with more than ten Finnish symphony orchestras and premiered more than 40 works, many of which have expanded the expressive range of the recorder. My repertoire ranges from the Middle Ages to the latest contemporary music, and at the heart of my work is a desire to show that the recorder is a fully-fledged concert instrument capable of moving, surprising and inspiring.

In addition to the recorder, I am also a saxophonist and singer, and I actively perform in light music and entertainment. I regularly perform with bands and at corporate events in various ensembles, such as a DJ + saxophone duo, pop bands and acoustic vocal performances. I play the baritone saxophone in the saxophone quartet Aava, whose repertoire ranges from classical to rhythm music.

My projects combine virtuosity, storytelling and humour. One of my most popular projects is Nokkahuiluguru, a concert in which I showcase the diversity of the recorder through different eras, styles and stories.

I am the executive director and artistic designer of the BRQ Vantaa festival, and I teach the recorder at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts. I am also an active content producer on social media and YouTube, where I showcase the recorder, the diversity of music and the life of a musician.

Customer references

I have performed as a soloist with more than ten Finnish symphony orchestras over 20 times. I have also played as a soloist with wind and string orchestras and the Espoo Big Band. I have collaborated with several notable conductors, such as John Storgårds and Dima Slobodeniouk. I have also worked as a leader of symphony orchestras and performed in Taidetestaajat concerts and tours abroad with the Norrlandsoperan. I have premiered over 40 works and thus collaborated with many composers, such as Kalevi Aho, Jukka Tiensuu, Cecilia Damström, Jouni Hirvelä and Jukka Tiensuu.

I have premiered over 40 works and thus collaborated with many composers, such as Kalevi Aho, Jukka Tiensuu, Cecilia Damström, Jouni Hirvelä, Jukka Linkola and Marzi Nyman. In 2023, the BIS record label released a recording of Kalevi Aho's recorder concerto, in which I performed as soloist.

As a chamber musician, I am a member of the Aava Saxophone Quartet and have performed at numerous festivals, such as BRQ Vantaa, Crusell Week, Kuhmo Chamber Music and Riihimäki Summer Concerts. I have also collaborated with choirs.

For entertainment and corporate gigs, I collaborate with a wide network of musicians in various ensembles, such as DJ + saxophone duos and pop bands. I have performed extensively at private events, including remotely.

I have also worked as a teacher and performer at numerous music schools and educational institutions throughout Finland and abroad, including the Mozarteum Conservatory in Salzburg and the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. I am also an active content producer on social media and YouTube.

Artistic fields