Bergen Big Band & Frode Grytten
Biographie Bergen Big Band & Frode Grytten
Bergen Big Band
is a professional big band established in 1991. Its roots trace back to the "Bergen Band" of the 1970s. The ensemble was founded by the late saxophonist Olav Dale, who served as its musical director and driving force until 2014. The band remains committed to Olav’s original vision—striving to be innovative and relevant—while keeping the big band tradition close to its heart.
Over the past 30 years, BBB has performed at some of the world’s most prominent jazz festivals, collaborating with many of the globe’s leading jazz artists, including Nils Petter Molvær, Paquito D’Rivera, Diana Krall, Chris Potter, Terje Rypdal, Palle Mikkelborg, Erlend Skomsvoll, Phil Woods, Django Bates, Andy Sheppard, Karin Krog, John Surman, Arild Andersen, Jon Balke, Joe Henderson, Marius Neset, and Maria Schneider.
As one of Norway’s premier professional big bands, BBB continuously seeks to evolve through collaborations with influential composers and jazz artists. The band is also deeply committed to fostering musical communities by organizing courses and workshops for young musicians in the region. Bergen Big Band has released seven albums and received a nomination for a Spellemann Award (the Norwegian Grammy equivalent) for their 2005 album, *Seagull*.
Knut Vaage
is a trained pianist and composer from the Grieg Academy in Bergen. Vaage writes in several styles, both instrumental music, opera and theater music, but with the main emphasis on improvisation and contemporary music. He is known for exploring the boundaries between improvisation and composition. Central among Vaage's instrumental works is his extensive production of orchestral music. It includes works such as "Janus", "Relief", "The Gardens of Hokkaido", "Chatter" and "Chaconne", premiered by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; "Mylder" and "Rite", premiered by KORK; "Reflex", premiered by Orkester Norden; "Kyklop", premiered by the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra; and "Orkesterdialogar", "Hidden songs" and "Continue", premiered by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. Chamber music is an important part of Vaage's production. "Svev" for piano trio, was premiered by the Valen Trio. "Bumerang" was premiered by Nidaro's string quartet. "Movements" and "Odyssé" for sinfonietta, were premiered by the BIT20 Ensemble. "Transit" was commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture and premiered by Ensemble Court-circuit. Vaage's cross-genre work for big band "Roots" was commissioned and premiered by Bergen Big Band, with text by Frode Grytten and video by Anne Marthe Dyvi. ("Roots 2" is the tour version). Of works for wind instruments, "Graffiti" for brass band and "Breaking Another Wall" for wind ensemble can be mentioned. For "Graffiti" he received the Edvard prize for 2003. Development of a hybrid acoustic/electronic soundscape is a central theme in Vaage's compositional work. In "Electra", the "multiMORF" series and in "Futuration", he has worked closely with sound designer Thorolf Thuestad to expand the sound spectrum of the instruments through extensive use of electronics. "Futuration" for orchestra and electronics was premiered by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in December 2015.
Knut Vaage has written several vocal works and works for the stage. His first opera, "Someone Is Going To Come", is based on Jon Fosse’s play of the same name. It was the first opera made upon a text by Fosse. The work was premiered by Opera Vest at the Ultima Festival in the autumn of 2000 and received excellent reviews from domestic and international press. The opera has been translated into English and German and performances have taken place in Germany and Luxembourg. "Winter Song" from 2017/2020, to words by Hanne Bramness, exists in two versions: one for counter-tenor and one for mezzo-soprano, both with baroque ensemble. In 2010 Collegium Musicum premiered "Song of Solomo" for soloists, choir and orchestra. "Khairos", a full-scale opera, was conceived together with librettist Torgeir Rebolledo Pedersen. The work was commissioned by the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet and received its first performance in 2013. Rebolledo Pedersen also wrote the libretto to "Veslefrikk", a family opera in one act first performed in September 2010 by Den Nye Opera; "Veslefrikk" was awarded the ARTE audience prize for best production. Vaage created the music for Hordaland teater’s production of "Per Gynt" and Den Nasjonale Scenes production of "The White Devil" by John Webster. Promoting contemporary music in a wider context has been a regular activity of Vaage’s, participating in several projects aimed at the young and at amateur choirs and orchestras. Vaage has been a board member of the Norwegian Composers’ Society, he was leader of the Bergen branch of Ny Musikk, and he has been artistic director of the Autunnale festival and the "Avgarde" concert series, also both based in Bergen. Vaage was awarded The Lindeman Prize for 2024, and nominated for «Spellemann», TONO’s Composer Prize 2024.
“His sensual sonorities are often so beautiful that they motivate you to stretch your ear into the orchestra and listen to the advanced nuances and variations with which he paints.” - Magnus Andersson
