Magnificent opening concert with Bill Frisell

Moldejazz 2024 Opening Concert: Symphonic Dreams

There is nothing surprising about Moldejazz's opening concert, signed by the Artist in Residence, being associated with explosive anticipation. This time, the famous bass drum will be sounded, and Bjørnsonhuset will be set with orchestral veils in July.

The repertoire is a cross-section of Bill Frisell's catalog—a blend of standard tunes, more modern classics, and his own compositions—and has been arranged by Frisell's friend and mentor for 50 years, composer Michael Gibbs. This is on the occasion of two different concert setups Frisell did with his trio featuring Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston, as well as two large ensembles. One concert with the significant Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, and its 60 instrumentalists. The other concert with the eleven-piece Umbria Jazz Orchestra. Alexander Hanson, conductor at the Göteborg Opera, who conducted in Brussels, will also be joining this time.

Both concerts have been documented and the album "Orchestras" was released on April 19th this year (Blue Note). Read more about the release here...

Painting with ensembles Although Frisell is most often found in smaller configurations—often with his steadfast allies—his catalog has also shown that he is a versatile explorer of musical dimensions and compositions.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force Band, formally established in 2006, has a 200-year history as a band in the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Trondheim Soloists are among Norway's leading chamber orchestras and have toured extensively worldwide, in addition to visiting Moldejazz on several occasions. They were last seen with Di Derre and the Royal Norwegian Air Force Band at the Romsdal Museum during Moldejazz 2023. Frisell, in other words, has great flexibility and curiosity about various formats and configurations of music—what kind of sounds it can contain. The range extends far beyond the frequency range of guitar strings. The whole world is his palette, it seems.

We look forward to hearing how the music from here can be translated into the landscapes that the Trondheim Soloists and the Royal Norwegian Air Force Band are capable of painting—two ensembles with strong regional roots and history at Moldejazz.

Don't miss out on this exceptional opening concert at Bjørnsonhuset at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, July 15th.

Concerts in our main program typically last between 60 to 90 minutes.
In Alexandraparken, there is an age limit of 18 years from 7:00 PM.
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