Valtteri Laurell
Valtteri Laurell
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Valtteri Laurell

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 four albums, achieved unprecedented chart success and performed in festivals and sold out shows all over Finland. Their most recent album "Liikkuu" was released in April of 2026. 

 

Soon after, Valtteri Laurell & Ricky-Tick Big Band released "Visions of Dilla", an album for BBE Records, in May of 2026. 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 two of the tracks. 

 

Laurell is also the leader of jazz-sextet Dalindèo, who’s 2013 album "Kallio" won the Emma Award (Finnish Grammy) for the 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 the saxophonist Timo Lassy as a guest solist. In 2022 Laurell was the artistic director and conductor for the production of UMO featuring Ringa Manner at Helsinki Festival.

Eclectic by nature, Valtteri’s musical interests reach far beyond jazz and he has collaborated with many acclaimed musicians, for example, PK Keränen from the legendary indie rock band 22 Pistepirkko, and with one of Finland’s top rappers 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 currently resides in Berlin and Helsinki.

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 four albums, achieved unprecedented chart success and performed in festivals and sold out shows all over Finland. Their most recent album "Liikkuu" was released in April of 2026. 

 

Soon after, Valtteri Laurell & Ricky-Tick Big Band released "Visions of Dilla", an album for BBE Records, in May of 2026. 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 two of the tracks. 

 

Laurell is also the leader of jazz-sextet Dalindèo, who’s 2013 album "Kallio" won the Emma Award (Finnish Grammy) for the 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.