ABOUT
Jennah Vainio's prize awarded music has been described as cinematic, powerful, stylistically versatile, emotional and driven.
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Born in Helsinki, Finland, Jennah's first influences included music by artists as diverse as Jean Sibelius, Elvis, Bobbie Gentry, Jean-Michel Jarre, J.S. Bach, Philip Glass and the neoclassical / progressive metal guitarists Yngwie Malmsteen and Jason Becker.
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Jennah's international breakthrough came in 2010 when the unique, world’s first 'Concerto for beatboxer and orchestra' was performed in the USA by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, with Shodekeh, one of the most talented beatbox artists of the East Coast Scene, as soloist. The concerto has been performed nearly 30 times, mainly in the USA. At the time, the 'New York Times' noted the concerto in its article on new creative voices in its segment.
Photo: Maarit Kytöharju
Most of her pieces are written commissions and they include chamber, orchestral and vocal works. Orchestras and choirs that have performed her pieces include Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra (USA), Jakarta Symphony Orchestra (Indonesia), Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra (Sweden), Ensemble Fusions (Canada), UMO Jazz Orchestra and Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Jennah draws her inspiration from many sources such as nature and visual arts. Jennah's first love was the guitar, and it has stayed with her all these years. Besides classical music Jennah is known for her passion for metal and country music. As a composer, Vainio feels that it is important to be versatile stylistically. There are only two kinds of music according to Vainio, “good and bad”
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