Moldejazz

Moldejazz
Name	Moldejazz
Location	Molde, Norway
Years active	1961–present
Dates	July (annual)
Genre	Jazz, contemporary music

Moldejazz is an annual international jazz festival held each July in Molde, Norway, established in 1961. The festival has become a major event in Scandinavian music, attracting artists and audiences from across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, and interacting with institutions such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Big Band, New York Philharmonic, Paris Opera, and Norsk Rikskringkasting. Over decades it has hosted collaborations involving ensembles like the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Weather Report, Pat Metheny Group, and artists including Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Nina Simone, and Björk.

History

The festival was founded in 1961 during a period shaped by personalities such as Arne Nordheim and civic leaders linked to Romsdal Folkeblad, with early programming influenced by contacts to Klaus Doldinger, Jan Garbarek, Kenny Clarke, Benny Goodman, and promoters associated with Egil Monn-Iversen and Oslo Jazz Festival. In the 1970s and 1980s Molde expanded amid European networks including Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazzaldia, WOMAD, and organizers who had ties to Copenhagen Jazz Festival and Berlin Jazz Festival. The 1990s saw commissions and premieres connected to composers like Arild Andersen and conductors from Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, with visiting delegations from UNESCO cultural programs and partnership projects involving Nordic Council cultural funds and the European Capital of Culture initiatives. In the 21st century the festival adapted to changes seen at festivals such as Glastonbury Festival and Coachella and engaged digital strategies paralleling BBC Radio and NPR broadcasting collaborations.

Organization and Programming

The festival is organized by a board including representatives from Molde Kommune, Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune, and private sponsors like DNB ASA, SpareBank 1, and corporate partners akin to Telenor and Equinor. Artistic direction has involved figures connected to Sverre Indris Joner, Karin Krog, and guest curators with links to Terje Rypdal, Jan Garbarek, Eivind Aarset, and international curators who have worked at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Royal Albert Hall. Programming mixes headline concerts, free outdoor stages, collaborations with institutions such as NTNU Jazzlinja, Bergen National Academy of the Arts, and residency projects similar to those at The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music. The festival commissions new works and curates series influenced by movements seen at Afropop Worldwide and labels including ECM Records, Blue Note Records, Impulse! Records, Verve Records, and ACT Music.

Venues and Festival Sites

Performances are staged across Molde’s locations including waterfront stages near Molde Cathedral, municipal venues like Molde Culture House, clubs comparable to Blå (venue), and outdoor settings resembling those at Glenfiddich, Central Park SummerStage, and Porgy and Bess (Vienna). Nearby concert sites link to regional institutions such as Romsdal Museum, Molde Jazzclub, Molde International Airport for artist logistics, and hotels like Hotel Alexandra (Molde), comparable to accommodations used at The Savoy, Claridge's, and Hotel Bristol (Oslo). The festival infrastructure mirrors production practices from Montreux Jazz Club, sound engineering standards used in Abbey Road Studios, lighting design traditions employed at Wembley Stadium, and audience services similar to Ticketmaster operations.

Notable Performers and Commissions

Over the decades the festival has presented a wide array of artists, establishing links to legends and contemporaries such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny, Cassandra Wilson, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Tito Puente, Etta James, B.B. King, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Jaco Pastorius, Sting (musician), Brian Eno, David Bowie, PJ Harvey, Anoushka Shankar, Buika, Hiromi Uehara, Brad Mehldau, Nils Petter Molvær, Neneh Cherry, Sidsel Endresen, Arild Andersen, Terje Rypdal, Jon Balke, Bugge Wesseltoft, Martha Argerich, Katherine Jenkins, Yo-Yo Ma, Max Roach, Tony Bennett, Amy Winehouse, Norah Jones, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Esperanza Spalding, Tord Gustavsen, and ensembles such as the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, and The Bad Plus. Commissioned works have involved composers like Arne Nordheim, Rolf Wallin, Eivind Buene, Kjetil Møster, Maja S.K. Ratkje, and collaborations with orchestras such as the Oslo Philharmonic and choirs linked to Den Norske Opera.

Awards and Competitions

The festival hosts competitions and prize presentations shaped by partnerships with organizations comparable to Spellemannprisen, Kinks Prize, and juries including figures from Jazz Journalists Association, DownBeat, The Guardian (Newspaper), The New York Times, and institutions like Bergen International Festival. Emerging artist platforms mirror formats from Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, Montreux International Jazz Competition, and scholarship schemes tied to universities such as NTNU and conservatories like Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Audience, Attendance and Economic Impact

Attendance figures have grown to align with other major European festivals such as North Sea Jazz Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival, with visitors from cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Paris, Berlin, New York City, and Tokyo. Economic impact studies reference models used by European Festivals Association and regional development plans tied to Møre og Romsdal County Municipality and local tourism bureaus similar to Visit Norway, showing effects on hospitality sectors including Scandic Hotels, Radisson Blu, and transport providers comparable to SAS and Vy (company).

Media Coverage and Recordings

Media coverage has involved national broadcasters such as Norsk Rikskringkasting and international outlets including BBC Radio, NPR Music, The New York Times, The Guardian (Newspaper), Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and The Times (London). Live recordings and festival albums have been released on labels like ECM Records, Blue Note Records, Sony Classical, and Universal Music Group, with archival partnerships resembling those at Library of Congress and distribution through platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. Documentaries and film projects have connected to production companies akin to NRK (company), BBC Studios, and film festivals like Sundance Film Festival and Bergen International Film Festival.

Category:Music festivals in Norway