Juhani "Junnu" Aaltonen (born 12 December 1935 in Kouvola) is a Finnish jazz flautist and saxophonist who has been a central figure in Finnish jazz since the late 1950s. He studied at the Sibelius Academy and Berklee College of Music, and went on to collaborate with Edward Vesala, Heikki Sarmanto, Jan Garbarek and Peter Brötzmann, among many others. A founding member of UMO Jazz Orchestra in 1975, he has appeared on more than 3,500 recordings over six decades. After a serious bout of COVID-19 in 2021, he gave up the saxophone on doctor's orders and now plays flute exclusively.
Aaltonen turned 90 on 12 December 2025 and recorded material for a new album with drummer Simo Laihonen at the We Jazz festival in late November 2025.
A two-hour 90th-birthday concert at Savoy-teatteri in Helsinki on 18 November 2025 featured Aaltonen performing with long-time collaborators including Heikki Sarmanto, Iro Haarla, Ulf Krokfors and Raoul Björkenheim.
The reissue of Aaltonen's 1979 album Springbird, expanded with a previously unreleased trio session called the Alppi session, was made available at the Savoy-teatteri birthday concert.
Juhani Aaltonen Trio performed at Tampere Jazz Happening on 31 October 2025, with Aaltonen playing flute exclusively.
A duo album Just Us, recorded with pianist Heikki Sarmanto on the Jazzaggression label, was released ahead of Aaltonen's 90th birthday, continuing a collaboration that began in 1964.
😴 Nothing scheduled with this artist in the near future.
98festivalThu 8.10.Timo Lassy - When the Saxophone Returns
97festivalFri 14.8.Flow Festival 2026
91concertThu 3.9.Olli Ahvenlahti New Quintet
91concertFri 9.10.Timo Lassy - When the Saxophone Returns (concert + film screening)
88concertWed 2.9.Olli Ahvenlahti New Quintet
83concertSat 12.9.Jukka Perko & Jay Kortehisto: Foxtet
70festivalFri 25.9.Maunula Jazz
60concertFri 28.8.Viapori Jazz: Timo Lassy - When the Saxophone Returns
60concertThu 24.9.Timo Lassy & Niko Kumpuvaara
57concertFri 14.8.Jukka Tolonen Ramblin' Jazz Quartet
concert21:30Two legendary jazz musicians take the stage together. Heikki Sarmanto and Juhani Aaltonen, pioneers of Finnish jazz, perform a rare duo concert.
concert18:00Legendary pianist Heikki Sarmanto performs with Jyväskylä Workshop Band in this festival closing concert. The programme spans multiple eras and features the world premiere of a new composition dedicated to the festival.