Jazz pianist & composer Joona Toivanen (born 1981) is a Finnish jazz pianist, composer, and educator based in Gothenburg, Sweden. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the USA, performing and recording with leading international jazz artists.
Toivanen’s pianism is lyrical and refined — his technique always serving the story within the music. His expression moves along the borders between tradition and avant-garde, combining clarity, lyricism, and an exploratory sense of form and sound. He often blends acoustic expression with subtle and organic electronic elements.
As a bandleader and co-leader, he is active with the Joona Toivanen Trio — with releases on We Jazz, Blue Note, and CAM Jazz — and the Nordic quartet Jazz & Fly Fishing. He is also a member of Anders Hagberg’s acclaimed ensemble (Sweden-Finland-Norway), and collaborates widely in various jazz and improvised-music projects. He has also gained recognition for his solo piano performances and albums, currently working with the site-specific Field Notes project with the portable Keybird piano.
Alongside his performing career, Toivanen is an appreciated and dedicated educator in piano, improvisation, and music theory. He teaches at the University of Gothenburg and Billströmska Folk High School. Joona holds a Master's degree in Music and is a certified music teacher.
Redolent of Bill Evans, Joona Toivanen’s piano jazz sounds simultaneously fresh and individual, timeless and unbounded.
— Keskisuomalainen
Joona Toivanen created a bit of jazz evolution…
— Hufvudstadsbladet
Hypnotizing minimalism; the possibilities of the prepared piano strike the listener with their irresistible pulse.