Projects - Esa Pietilä

Soloist with Orchestras

Esa Pietilä

”Pietilä´s performance of my concerto was sovereign”

– Kalevi Aho, composer

Esa Pietilä is committed to expanding the concerto repertoire of the saxophone through commissions, collaborations, and partnerships with orchestras and composers. In 2014 Pietilä premiered his concerto Graffiti Play for saxophone, improvising contemporary jazz trio and chamber orchestra, premiered by Esa-Pekka Salonen and Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. In 2016 Pietilä premiered the Tenor Saxophone Concerto from Finnish composer Kalevi Aho, who composed and dedicated the concerto to Pietilä. In 2013 Pietilä premiered a saxophone concerto “Grounds” by Eero Hämeenniemi. The Concerto was performed by Se ensemble with conductor Santtu Matias Rouvali. The piece was also composed and dedicated to Pietilä, taking advantage of Pietilä´s improvisational skills.

Available Repertoire

With orchestra

Kairos Ludus (Esa Pietilä)

Double concerto for violin, tenor saxophone and orchestra, 35′. F.P. 2026 TBA.

Tenor Saxophone Concerto (Kalevi Aho)

Sinfonietta size orchestra, 35´, double F.P. with Pori Sinfonietta (cond. Jan Söderblom) & Lappeenranta City Orchestra (cond. Tibor Boganyi). Listen at Spotify.

Graffiti Play (Esa Pietilä)

Concerto for chamber orchestra, tenor saxophone & jazz trio, 35´, F.P. 2014 by Esa Pietilä, Esa-Pekka Salonen & Avanti! Chamber Orchestra. Listen.

Pulses, Waves & Dialogues (Esa Pietilä)

Concerto for tenor saxophone & string orchestra, 18´, (min. 4-3-2-2-1). F.P. 2017 with St. Michel Strings, cond. Hossein Pishkar.

Grounds (Eero Hämeenniemi)

For chamber orchestra & tenor saxophone, 20´, F.P. 2013 by Esa Pietilä, Santtu-Matias Rouvali & Se Ensemble.

With chamber groups

Blazing Flames (Esa Pietilä)

For tenor saxophone & string quartet, 28´, (2018). F.P. 2018 with Kamus String Quartet.

Hyperhelium (Esa Pietilä)

for tenor saxophone & 7-piece chamber group,18´, fl, vl, clar, vlc, ac. bs, pno & . F.P. by TampereRaw Sextet & Esa Pietilä, 2016.

HUNT! (Esa Pietilä)

for percussion quintet & tenor saxophone, 27`, F.P. by OSUMA percussion ensemble & Esa Pietilä, 2016.

Asterion (Esa Pietilä)

for tenor saxophone & 8-piece chamber group (fl, cl/bscl, vl, vla, vlc, cb, hn in F, piano) 18´, F.P. 2014 with Zagros Ensemble.

With various mixed setups

Uirapuru (Esa Pietilä)

For male choir and tenor saxophone (40 voices and up), 11´ F.P. 2017 with Akademiska Sångföreningen.

Triptych (Esa Pietilä)

For tenor saxophone & church organ, 18´, F.P. 2016.

Fantasy (Esa Pietilä)

For tenor saxophone & church organ, 16´, F.P. TBA.

Glow (Esa Pietilä)

For saxophone, acc. & percussion with various live electronics, or alternatively for any solo instrument, harmony instrument & percussion, 16`, F.P 2018 with Veli Kujala & Janne Tuomi

View Esa Pietilä catalogue as composer

Solo Saxophone

Esa Pietilä

The impressive Tenor Saxophonist Esa Pietilä

– Josef Woodard / DownBeat

Esa Pietilä’s solo saxophone work explores the expressive and structural possibilities of the instrument across both composed and improvised forms. His concerts and recordings combine original compositions with spontaneous material, creating a continuously evolving musical language.

Beginning his solo concert series in 2007, Pietilä has developed a distinctive approach that draws from contemporary classical music, jazz, and experimental practices. His performances often incorporate extended techniques, dynamic contrasts, and a strong sense of form.

Releases such as Karhea (2009), Times & Spaces (2017), and Defiance (2026) reflect different facets of this work — from acoustic solo settings to performances involving live electronics — all unified by a focus on sound as a primary narrative element.

Pietilä’s work continues to evolve across solo performance, chamber music and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Selected release

Defiance

A solo saxophone album (2026) exploring composed structures and improvisational form, balancing precision and freedom within a highly personal sonic language.