jaZZanti concert: Karja – Renard – Wandinger Trio

Kirke Karja (EE): piano, compositions
Etienne Renard (FR): double bass
Ludwig Wandinger (DE): drums

In 2022, we heard this ensemble for the first time, and it has already become a renowned international jazz trio focusing on experimental improvisational music. The trio, consisting of Estonian pianist Kirke Karja, French bassist Etienne Renard, and German drummer Ludwig Wandinger, released their debut album "The Wrong Needle" in 2022 and their second album "Caught in My Own Trap", published by BMC Records, in 2024. The trio has toured numerous European jazz festivals and, in 2024, won the prestigious Jazz Ensemble of the Year award in Estonia!

The group's front figure is the award-winning Estonian pianist Kirke Karja, who has regularly performed in Finland, including last spring at our association's 50th-anniversary as a soloist and in a duo with Mikko Innanen. The trio is completed by French bassist Etienne Renard and German drummer Ludwig Wandinger. Their music radiates technical mastery, free improvisation, and a contemporary musical language. The trio draws inspiration from old haunting silent films and broken machines.

This concert is part of the Better Live project, co-funded by the European Union's Creative Europe program.

Photo: Sakari Puhakka

The concert is supported by City of Helsinki, Svenska Kulturfonden and The Finnish Music Foundation.