Kimmo Pohjonen (born 1964) is a Finnish accordionist and composer who has spent three decades pushing the instrument far beyond its traditional limits - playing a custom-made electrified accordion wired through live effects, loops and surround sound. His work spans Finnish folk, avant-garde, rock and contemporary classical, and he has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet, King Crimson members Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto, and many others. He won the inaugural Teosto Prize in 2003 for his orchestral work Kalmuk, and his documentary Soundbreaker has screened in over 30 countries.
Pohjonen performed his solo show Zone 6 at Institut finlandais in Paris on 19 February 2026, preceded by a screening of the documentary Soundbreaker.
Pohjonen held recording sessions in Vienna with saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, with a new solo album planned to follow.
Pohjonen performed at Helsinki Concert Hall on 3 January 2026 alongside Mikko Helenius and Tuomas Norvio under the project name Hallowed Lungs.
Pohjonen opened WOMEX 2025 in Tampere with his Zone 6 solo show at Tampere Hall's Main Auditorium.
Pohjonen toured Estonia in late December 2025, performing Zone 6 in Tallinn, Tartu and other venues.
festivalin progress
Raahen Rantajatsit is a three-day jazz festival held July 23-25 on various stages in Rahe. The programme features Finnish and international artists including Kimmo Pohjonen, Aki Rissanen, and Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble.
concert18:00Kimmo Pohjonen, Mikko Helenius and Tuomas Norvio perform "Hallowed Lungs", a work that unites accordion, organ and electronic music in a trio. This return performance of the sold-out January show comes back to Musiikkitalo.