Valtteri Laurell
Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen is an award-winning composer, arranger, musician, conductor and producer from Finland. With over a dozen albums of his own music released on various labels, he is one of the most prolific and versatile Finnish jazz artists of his generation.
Laurell is the founder and leader of Ricky-Tick Big Band, a 17-member jazz orchestra based in Helsinki, known for their eclectic productions. Their collab with top Finnish rappers as Ricky-Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana has to date released three albums, achieved unprecedented chart success and performed in festivals and sold out shows all over Finland. A new album "Liikkuu" from RTBB & Julkinen Sana will be released April 17th 2026.
Valtteri Laurell & Ricky-Tick Big Band are also releasing "Visions of Dilla" album for BBE REcords this spring. It's a reimagining of Dilla's original beats released by BBE, arranged and produced by Laurell and co-produced by Teppo Mäkynen, featuring Elena Pinderhughes on flute on 2 tracks.
Laurell is also the leader of jazz-sextet Dalindèo, who’s 2013 album "Kallio" won the Emma Award (Finnish Grammy) for "Jazz Album of the Year" and was nominated for the annual Teosto prize of the Finnish Composers' Copyright Society. In 2022 Laurell recieved the prestigious Ted Curson prize at Pori Jazz Festival.
Laurell specialises in big band music and conducting. He has been a guest conductor for UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra on numerous occasions, and UMO has commissioned multiple arrangements from him, including a full 60+ min piece “A Nocturnal Affair” in 2015 with saxophonist Timo Lassy as guest solist. In 2022 Laurell was the artistic director and conductor for the production UMO feat. Ringa Manner at Helsinki Festival.
Eclectic by nature, Valtteri’s musical interests reach far beyond jazz and he has collaborated with for example PK Keränen from the legendary indie rock band 22 Pistepirkko and with Finland’s top rapper Paleface.
Valtteri Laurell has studied music in Helsinki, Paris and Rotterdam and holds a Master’s Degree in jazz composition from Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. Originally a guitar player, he also plays piano, synthesizers and electronics. He is currently residing in Berlin and Helsinki.
Valtteri Laurell
Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen is an award-winning composer, arranger, musician, conductor and producer from Finland.
Laurell is the founder and leader of Ricky-Tick Big Band, a 17-member jazz orchestra known for its eclectic productions. The Ricky-Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana production with three top-notch Finnish rappers released three albums, achieved unprecedented chart success and performed in festivals and sold out shows all over Finland between 2013-2019.
He is also the leader of jazz-sextet Dalindèo, who’s 2013 album "Kallio" won the Emma Award (Finnish Grammy) for "Jazz Album of the Year" and was nominated for the annual Teosto prize of the Finnish Composers' Copyright Society. In 2022 Laurell recieved the prestigious Ted Curson prize at Pori Jazz Festival.
Laurell specialises in big band music and conducting. He has been a guest conductor for UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra on numerous occasions, and UMO has commissioned multiple arrangements from him, including a full 60+ min piece “A Nocturnal Affair” in 2015 with saxophonist Timo Lassy as guest solist. In 2022 Laurell was the artistic director and conductor for the production UMO feat. Ringa Manner at Helsinki Festival.
Eclectic by nature, Valtteri’s musical interests reach far beyond jazz and he has collaborated with for example PK Keränen from the legendary indie rock band 22 Pistepirkko and with Finland’s top rapper Paleface.
Valtteri Laurell has studied music in Helsinki, Paris and Rotterdam and holds a Master’s Degree in jazz composition from Sibelius Academy, Helsinki. Originally a guitar player, he also plays piano, synthesizers and electronics. He is currently residing in Berlin and Helsinki.
