Big Ears

Aino Söderhielm Alto/Soprano saxophones & clarinet

Aino was born on May 14th 1968 in Sandviken, Sweden. She started out playing the clarinet but eventually moved on to the saxophone. After a high school exchange year in Colorado Aino decided to pursue music. Soon after returning to Sweden she applied for a music school and began to study the saxophone. During her studies in Stockholm Aino played in a rap group called "The Orange Crush". Later while studying music in the South of Sweden she was a member of The South Coast Big Band. In the spring of 1992 she formed a Jazz Quintet that toured the South of Spain.

In the fall of 1992 Aino moved to NYC to study jazz at The New School. There she had the opportunity to study with Reggie Workman, Michelle Rosewoman, Chico Hamilton and Vincent Herring. During her time in New York City she performed frequently with an R&B group named "D'trip" and she was also a member of a fusion group named "Hans" with bass player Reggie Washington.

Aino moved to Philadelphia in the spring of 1994 where she soon teamed up with David Bath and Scott McDonald to form the beginnings of the band called Tintinabulus. Tintinabulus has a long history of performing around the Philadelphia area and has collaborated with dancers and other multi media performers. The band released a self-titled CD in 1998.

She attended Temple University and received her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Music Therapy. While at Temple, she performed with the University's Jazz Band and Small Jazz Ensemble under the leadership of Terrell Stafford. Together with Andy Pfaff Aino formed a jazz quartet called the "Hippocket Ensemble" that performed regularly during the fall of 1994, and spring 1995. Since then Aino has performed with poets, rappers, and modern dancers where she composed music to support their acts.

In 1998 Aino joined an all female saxophone quartet called The Spirit Winds. She also composed and arranged for the group.

In 1999 Aino joined an experimental trio called The Way Blue Bucket. They have performed yearly at the Fringe festival but also can be heard at other venues in the Philadelphia area. Their first CD release was in August 2003.

In 2001 Aino joined Calvin Weston's Big Tree. This band includes renowned musicians Elliot Levin and Calvin Weston.

During the spring of 2003 Aino performed with Cuban artists, Elio Villafranca and John Pacheco as part of the Philadelphia Music Project. Aino was also featured in a world music performance at the Painted Bride by multi instrumentalist/ virituoso Orlando Fiol.

In 2004 Aino is expanding her musical horizons by playing with Gypsophilia, a Balkan influenced music group led by Scott Robinson and and later that year recorded and performed with another group let by Scott Robinson called Mandala.

Aino's latest musical pursuits has been recording and performing new music monthly with jazz guitarist and composer Matt Davis in his group Aerial Photograph.