Sigrid Aftret med Trondheim Jazzorkester

In her work for Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Aftret invites the ensemble into her exploration of rhythmic illusions. Her interest in rhythmic layers as a compositional foundation emerged during an exchange program at the Paris Conservatory in 2018. While she initially looked to New York and Chicago for inspiration, she has since turned her focus toward European currents to further explore the rhythmic aspect. During a residency at RMC in Copenhagen, she took lessons with Danish drummer Peter Bruun, whose music and methodological approach left a significant impression. This encounter became an important starting point for the next steps in her compositional journey.

In her piece for Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Aftret creates a musical space where both listeners' and musicians' perception of pulse is challenged. Within a sphere consisting of seemingly arbitrary musical focal points, one can move in and out of different rhythmic dimensions—or simply float above it all.

Lineup:

• Loup Godfroy – drums
• Henrik Sandstad Dalen – bass
• Sigrid Sand Angelsen – cello
• Sigrid Aftret – tenor saxophone/flute
• Brede Sørum – alto saxophone
• Joakim Rainer – piano
• Peter Bruun – drums
• Heiða Karine Jóhannesdóttir Mobeck – tuba
• Jenny Frøysa – bass clarinet
• Jørgen Bjelkerud – trombone
• Klaus Holm – alto saxophone
• Trine Knutsen – flutes

The SpareBank 1 SMN JazZtipendiat 2024/25 is awarded to a musician and composer who explores polyrhythms to create rhythmic dimensions that contribute to a larger whole. Sigrid Aftret has previously worked within these parameters in her own quintet and for larger ensembles such as OJKOS, and over time, she has developed a strong and distinctive signature inspired by musicians like Anna Webber and Henry Threadgill. Her compositions are of a very high level, both in terms of sound and technique. For Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, she will further develop this work and explore rhythmic dimensions. The goal is to determine whether greater flexibility in polyrhythms can emerge and whether this can contribute to something that sounds new and different. The project is both exciting and ambitious, and the jury believes that her compositional approach will be enriching and developmental for both the recipient and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.

This year's jury consists of Mette Rasmussen, Ole Morten Vågan, Siri Gjære, Øyvind Larsen, and Oscar Grønberg, who make up the artistic council of Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, along with Bjørn Willadsen, managing director of Midtnorsk Jazzsenter, Magnus Lunay, artistic director of Moldejazz, and Per Oskar Olsen, bank director at SpareBank 1 SMN.