Timo Kotipelto & Jarkko Ahola – Voices Unleashed

Two voices. Two careers. One shared stage. Timo Kotipelto and Jarkko Ahola, two of the best-known voices in Finnish rock and metal, are setting out together on a concert hall tour for the first time. The tour promises an energetic programme combining the two charismatic singers’ favourite songs, rock classics and duets never heard before.

The Voices Unleashed tour begins in Joensuu on February 19. It will feature the artists’ own hits, including Stratovarius’s “Black Diamond” and familiar favourites from Ahola’s career, as well as selected rock classics from the repertoires of Queen, Deep Purple, Ozzy and Scorpions, among others. There will also be rock arrangements of unexpected songs and, of course, duets by Kotipelto and Ahola.

“This is above all about what happens when two different, powerful voices share the same space. We wanted to create a concert where the audience can hear us both separately and together. And we’ll really let our voices rip,” enthuse Jarkko Ahola and Timo Kotipelto in unison.

The tour brings together the power of a rock concert, the sensitivity of great ballads and the dialogue between two charismatic performers.

“We intend to live up to the audience’s expectations, so of course our own material will be included,” says Jarkko Ahola, adding that “Taivas luo tulta” is certain to be performed.

“I don’t think they’d let us leave the stage without those songs,” says Timo Kotipelto, adding: “It’s an honour to share the stage with Jarkko; this will certainly be something for future generations to hear about.”

“I’m truly honoured to share the stage with a man whose impressive career I’ve followed, including abroad,” Ahola adds.

The concert will be accompanied by the magnificent Avenue Rock Orchestra. Made up of 12 leading Finnish musicians, Avenue Rock Orchestra is a musical supergroup led by conductor Antti Rissanen, bringing together a rock band, a brass section and strings.

Jarkko Ahola
Rock tenor Jarkko Ahola’s decision to pursue a solo career after Teräsbetoni was one of the turning points in his career. Ahola, whose power- and heavy-metal voice is also familiar from Elämäni biisi, has recently been heard on numerous tours and at festivals. He is currently performing on his Hienoimmat ja suurimmat concert hall tour, with a traditional Christmas concert tour also coming up.

Timo Kotipelto
Kotipelto is known internationally as a leading figure in the power metal band Stratovarius. He has been the band’s vocalist since 1994. Kotipelto is currently delighting Finnish audiences on the Vain elämää programme (Nelonen). In a couple of weeks, Stratovarius will begin a tour with stops in, among other countries, Colombia, Panama, Japan and China.

Avenue Rock Orchestra
The guitarists include virtuoso Tuomas Wäinölä, known from the Raskasta joulua concerts, and multi-instrumentalist Saku Mattila. The rhythm section is led by drummer Rolf Pilve, known from Stratovarius. Swedish-born keyboardist Bob Engstrand, who moved to Finland from Sweden, plays keyboards, and Jere Lehto plays bass. The brass section comprises Tero Lindberg, Antti Rissanen and Janne Huttunen. This group is also known as the so-called Popeda brass section, from the Pate Mustajärvi era. The string section consists of string players from Kymi Sinfonietta.

Estimated duration approximately two hours, including an interval.

Organised by Sony Music Live
Tickets: €64.50