Mikko Iivanainen

Mikko Iivanainen is a versatile guitarist and composer known from numerous different groups in his native Finland. Hi has distinguished himself in the Finnish jazz field with his harmonic depth and diverse timbral universe. Mikko’s playing has shaped the sound of some of the country's top jazz ensembles, including Free Control, Nordic Trinity, and Loco Motife. In 2019 he dived into completely new territory as a solo artist. For Iivanainen, composing and playing the guitar are strongly intertwined – two sides of the same coin, if you will. "Having the courage to trust my own voice as a composer and guitarist requires a lot of work. I have also learnt to trust in playing in a more modest way and expressing what I have to say without resorting to technical prowess. In music, I find that more important than any of that is the so-called x factor, which is always so difficult to put your finger on. Call it soul if you will."

Selected discography:
Hiljaisessa siimeksessä (2024)
Smalltime Players (2024)
Mikko Iivanainen ’Lullaby for Lost Souls’ (2023)
Johanna Iivanainen ’Broken River’ (2021)
Altamullan Road (2020)
Mikko Iivanainen ’A River Runs Through It’ (2020)
Alakotila-Kalaniemi-Iivanainen ’Seimiyö’ (2018)
Nordic Trinity ’The Art of Sound’ (2018)
Mikko Iivanainen ´Last Room` (2014)
Tuomas Holopainen ´Music Inspired by The Life And Times Of Scrooge´ (2014)
Wadada Leo Smith & TUMO Occupy The World (2013)

https://www.mikkoiivanainen.com/