Aida Salakka

double bassist vocalist composer

Aida Salakka is a Swedish-speaking Finn, double bassist, vocalist and composer based in Helsinki. At the heart of her work are her own solo compositions for her voice and double bass, where composition, improvisation and performance intertwine.

The music Aida composes for her voice and double bass embodies her unique musicianship. She is passionate about exploring the ways in which her voice and double bass can meet and complement one another, creating genre-defying, emotionally charged and thrilling solo works.

Her latest solo works LOSS (introduction), Shimmer and Calm before the storm have been described as “exciting”, “chill-giving”, “magically wonderful”, “striking”, “innovative” and “purifying”.

Aida is currently working full-time on her solo project LOSS, creating new solo music for her voice and double bass while further exploring her musical identity. The title LOSS  comes from Aida’s mother tongue, Swedish, where “loss” means “to let go.” More than ten years ago, Aida had a dream: she was playing the double bass, completely free. That feeling of freedom — of letting go — became the seed of LOSS, and continues to guide her as she creates new solo music.

LOSS is kindly supported by the Swedish Cultural Foundation (Svenska Kulturfonden).

Alongside her recent solo works for her voice and double bass, Aida has composed music for the striking poetry of Edith Södergran, including a commissioned work for the Finnish Male Choir Association. Her solo works RUN and Pandemic Diaries further explore her musical language, with Pandemic Diaries selected to represent Finland at Ung Nordisk Musik in Reykjavík in 2022.

For more than a decade, Aida has returned regularly as a guest musician to orchestras and ensembles including Tampere Filharmonia, Oulu Sinfonia, Helsinki Philharmonic and Wegelius Chamber Strings, as well as several other Finnish orchestras. She has toured Europe, Japan and South Korea with the Estonian Festival Orchestra, and performed as a soloist and ensemble musician at festivals around the world, including Pärnu Music Festival, Rusk in Pietarsaari, rainy days in Luxembourg, Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu in Oulu and Ung Nordisk Musik in Reykjavík.

Her artistic work has been supported by the Swedish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, MES, Victoriastiftelsen and the City of Helsinki.

Aida holds a Master’s degree in classical music, specializing in double bass, from the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki.

Concerts autumn 2026

2.10 SOLO/DUO @ 7 PM Double feature: Aida Salakka & Mariah Kronvik, The Doo-Bop Club, Vaasa. Performing recent solo works

14.10 SOLO/DUO @ 4 PM Music café at Brage, Kasarmikatu 28, Helsinki (free entrance) with Teppo Salakka (piano). Performing recent solo works and compositions for Edith Södergran’s poems

24.10 ORCHESTRA @ 6 PM Martin Wegelius-institutets 70-års jubileumskonsert, Astoria, Helsinki

29.10 ORCHESTRA @ 7 PM Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem with Cantores Minores & Lohja City Orchestra at Lohja Church

30.10 ORCHESTRA @ 7 PM Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem with Cantores Minores & Lohja City Orchestra at S:t John’s Church, Helsinki

4.11 ENSEMBLE @ 7 PM Lasse Mårtenson In Memoriam: En natt vid havet at Sellosali, Espoo

4.11 ENSEMBLE @ 7 PM: Lasse Mårtenson In Memoriam: En natt vid havet at Sellosali, Espoo

12.11 TBA, Helsinki

Watch Aida’s recent solo performances

LOSS (introduction) here

Shimmer here

Calm before the storm here