TOPIAS TIHEÄSALO

Improvised music • Film music • Sound art

I am an improvising guitarist living in Turku, Finland. Currently I am sharing my time between various forms of improvised music ranging from free jazz and free improvisation to baroque music and sound art. I frequently perform live-scores for silent films as well as other forms of live visual arts.

The year 2022 saw the beginning of a new publishing platform Sormi Editions which I run together with visual artist and graphic designer Pauliina Mäkelä. Together with Pauliina we also perform together as Kultapalmut which is our duo for making analogue live experimental cinema and live sound.

I also compose music for films. In 2019 I was nominated for the Ariel Award by the Mexican Film Academy for the music I composed and performed for Kyzza Terrazas‘ film Bayoneta.

I’m one of the founding members of the Turku-based association Himera together with Marja Ahti, Niko-Matti Ahti, Antti Tolvi and Rasmus Östling. We organize concerts and festivals as well as workshops and lectures. Since 2014 I have also been making music programs and series for the Finnish national radio YLE Radio 1 specializing in various forms of jazz, improvisation, contemporary composition and early music. My latest series is called Resonanssi – a series for experimental music, sound art, improvised music and new composition.