Mika began to play music at the age of 5 in the small Finnish town of Kokkola. He began by playing the drums, taught by his father Alf Roger, who is also a musician. At the age of 12 Mika started to play the trumpet, which become his instrument and his "voice". Since then, he has passionately studied trumpet playing.
Mika moved to the Helsinki in 1985, where he began his professional studies at the Sibelius Academy. His career as a musician had, however, begun years before this. He was only 11 years when he played piano in his fathers band.
In 1988 Mika started regular annual visits to New York, where he studied with Tim Hagans and Jimmy Owens, among others.
Mika has performed internationally with Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille, Freddie Hubbard, Max Roach, Mike Nock and Ed Jones, to mention just a few.
In 1990 Mika founded his quintet, MMQ, which has been one of the leading jazz groups in Finland during the 90's. MMQ was voted by the critics "the jazz band of the year 1990" in Finland.
After playing in several Finnish Jazz albums, his first album as a leader and a composer was released in 1992 by MMQ ("Heritages", MMQCD01).
Mika is constantly trying out new things, while never losing touch with the tradition of Jazz. "Heritages" was his statement of the hard bop tradition.
In 1995 it was time to change the style of MMQ. Mika moved to Paris where he stayed 3 years, concentrating on his composition work.
In 1997 Mika released his second album ("Les Ponts" MMQCD02). The sound of the band and the music on "Les Ponts" is already more open. "Les Ponts" was voted as the Jazz album of the year 1997 in Finland.
Mika's two albums "Heritages" and "Les Ponts" have received excellent reviews the world over.
Mika visited London in 1998 and began to play with Ed Jones quintet. They have made several tours in the UK and Finland, and recorded together. An album is to be released in 2000.
In addition to performing and composing, Mika has taught at various music institutes, including the Sibelius Academy, from which he graduated with a Master's degree in jazz in 1996.
Mika Mylläri functions as a chairman of Finnish Jazz Musicians' Association.
Year 2000 is a major composition year for Mika. He is composing a large-scale "musical-like" performance to the famous "Olavin Linna", where the Finland's proud "Savonlinna Opera Festival" is held in an old castle. The work is a good mix of modern jazz, drum n' bass and pygmy style of world music.
E-mail Mika Mylläri