Venla Kling
Venla Kling is a Finnish singer and performer trained in London. Her artistic expression brings together jazz, bossa nova and soul. Her performances combine strong interpretation, improvisation and presence. Alongside her warm, dark-toned voice are the stories, atmosphere and spirit of each song.
She has over fifteen years of performing experience in Finland and abroad, working with a variety of ensembles and musical projects. Her repertoire of nearly 200 songs ranges from jazz standards and bossa nova to carefully selected interpretations of popular music. Venla has performed at venues and festivals including Pori Jazz in 2011, Umbria Jazz Festival, and the La Fontaine and Montmartre jazz clubs in Copenhagen.
Education
Venla Kling is a Finnish singer and performer trained in London. Her artistic expression brings together jazz, bossa nova and soul. Her performances combine strong interpretation, improvisation and presence. Alongside her warm, dark-toned voice are the stories, atmosphere and spirit of each song. She has over fifteen years of performing experience in Finland and abroad, working with a variety of ensembles and musical projects. Her repertoire of nearly 200 songs ranges from jazz standards and bossa nova to carefully selected interpretations of popular music. Venla has performed at venues and festivals including Pori Jazz in 2011, Umbria Jazz Festival, and the La Fontaine and Montmartre jazz clubs in Copenhagen.
Venla’s musical journey began at the age of 14 in 2006, when she started studying singing at Mona Boettge’s singing school. In 2007–2008, she studied at Scene Theatre School under Hanna-Riikka Siitonen, Marco Bjurström and Raine Heiskanen. Over the years, Venla has studied singing with several professional teachers, including Emma Salokoski, Nina Tapio and Susanna Mesiä, as well as at Otava, Orivesi and Laajasalo Adult Education Centres. She later studied pop and jazz singing as her principal subject at Palmgren Conservatory. In 2014, Venla trained in Copenhagen in Complete Vocal Technique at the Complete Vocal Institute, working with the method developed by Cathrine Sadolin.
In 2017, she moved to London after being accepted to BIMM London. She graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Music (BMus Hons) in Popular Music Performance, in collaboration with the University of Sussex. During her studies, she further developed her vocal skills under the guidance of Lisa Laudati, Elly Holt and Iain McKenzie, among others. Venla has also continued her musical education through Jazz Clinics at Berklee College of Music and open studies and courses at the Sibelius Academy. In 2024, she was additionally invited to audition for Berklee College of Music.
Performance experience
Venla’s performing experience extends from Finland to international jazz and music stages.
She has performed at Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy and at Pori Jazz in 2011 with her own group, Kling’s Swing. The line-up at the time included Jussi Reunamäki, Severi Koivusalo and Samu Repo. Venla has also performed at the Baltic Salsa Show Cup in Lithuania. In Copenhagen, she has performed at La Fontaine Jazz Club and Montmartre Jazz Club together with pianist Felix Tani.
In Finland, Venla has performed with the Blue Pepper jazz ensemble at Tanner, Hard Rock Cafe and On the Rocks, as well as appearing as a featured vocalist for many Finnish artists.Venla has also performed at Storyville’s Roots Tuesday evenings and Manala’s after-work events. She provided backing vocals on Kauko Röyhkä’s album Etsijät (2002), on the song “Kerran ilmestyin”.
Today
Today, Venla performs as a solo artist as well as in duos and ensembles. Together with Hector Lepé, she forms a duo focusing on bossa nova and samba, combining Brazilian music with jazz influences. As a solo artist, Venla combines jazz with popular music. Her repertoire includes nearly 200 songs ranging from jazz and bossa nova to soul, as well as a wide selection of popular music. The repertoire can be tailored to suit the occasion and atmosphere.
Venla is available for parties, private and corporate events, restaurants, concerts and other occasions. She also accepts enquiries about singing lessons.
