Tommi Kolunen (born 1976) is a Finnish allround trumpet player, based in Helsinki. He has studied at the Tampere Conservatory (Bachelor of Music, Music pedagogy), the Sibelius Academy (Master of Music degree) and later at the Metropolia University of Applied Studies in Helsinki (Bachelor of Culture and Arts, pop & jazz music performance). Before his decision to become a professional musician Tommi studied Master's degree in Education at the University of Turku.
Nowadays, Tommi is working with quite a diverse range of music genres, from jazz quintets and theatre bands to symphony orchestras. He has worked as the principal trumpet of Pori Sinfonietta for over ten years. In 2013-2014 Kolunen worked as a member of the Finnish National Opera Orchestra. He has visited almost all the Finnish symphony orchestras, played a lot of chamber music with, for example, Ilo Brass Quintet, Tampere Brass Quintet, Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Tampere Pops, Riku Niemi Orchestra, Finnhittien kuninkaat and made his own solo concerts with organist Henry Hersta.
His career as a jazz trumpetist began in Pori Big Band. Tommi is currently a member of Rakka jazz quintet and played lead trumpet in The Sointi Jazz Orchestra. As a principal trumpet Tommi has worked in Tampereen Theatre, The TTT-Theatre, Helsinki City Theatre (HKT) and Lahti City Theatre.
This spring 2020, you can hear him play in the Little Mermaid musical at Helsinki City Theatre and Poikabändi (Boyband) musical at TTT-Theatre. In the Autumn starts the Groundhog Day musical at Helsinki City Theatre. Tommi also freelancing as a studio and session musician with many different Finnish artists. At a moment he is touring with Sointi Jazz Orchestra. His discography includes, for example, ska, reggae, jazz, heavy metal, classical, pop and rock records. He has performed worldwide with various ensembles and performed with Rakka Quintet, at many major jazz festivals, such as New York Winter Jazz, Eunic Jazz Festival Berlin, and several times at the Pori Jazz Festival in Finland.
While living in Tampere Tommi has been teaching trumpet playing in The Pirkanmaa Music Institute, and nowadays in The East Helsinki Music Institute. He has held clinics, but also organized master classes for finnish trumpet players. Tommi has been chairman of the Finnish Trumpet Guild 2015-2018. He has made his own trumpet method and gives also private lessons. Tommi won first prize in national brass competition, trumpet serie, held in Lahti 2003.
2023 Tommi Kolunen reportedly became Finland's and the world's first carbon-negative musician and photographer.