Håkon Kornstad (NOR)
Born in Oslo, Norway in 1977, Kornstad took up the clarinet in grammar school and eventually turned to the saxophone and studies at the Trondheim Jazz Conservatory. Known for its emphasis on artistic identity, Kornstad emerged from Trondheim with a distinct voice whose strength was soon manifest in the professional success that followed.
After an exciting start to his career with the group Wibutee, and performing with the likes of Pat Metheny, Kornstad began exploring the sonic possibilities of the saxophone in collaborations and as a sideman. In 2007, Kornstad released his own solo effort in the album, “Single Engine.” One of Norway's leading newspapers, Dagbladet, fully understood the quality and significance of this release. The review entitled Absolute Kornstad, with the inserted headline A Definitive Artistic Breakthrough, was itself definitive: “Håkon Kornstad’s 'Single Engine' is an extraordinary album. Here all the bits and pieces come together, and loose threads find their place, while the music raises perhaps the most important milestone in an artist’s development: the definitive transition from 'promising' to 'mature and original.'”
By 2011, Kornstad was an incredibly established solo artist, and released his third solo album, “Symphonies in My Head.” It was at this time that Kornstad last appeared at Bohemia JazzFest, sharing his original and exciting music with audiences in the Czech Republic. 2011 also marks the year that Kornstad began his studies at Operahøgskolen (The Academy of Opera) at the Kunsthøgskolen I Oslo (Oslo National Academy of the Arts), where he completed his master studies as operatic tenor in May 2014.
Today, Kornstad's sound is an exciting meeting of jazz and opera. In March of 2015 Kornstad performed in London for a solo concert at the King’s Place. Among the audience members was legendary jazz critic at The Guardian, John Fordham: “It could have been a virtuosic circus act, but in Kornstad’s hands was a musical tour de force.” He credited the concert four stars.
This summer, BJF is thrilled to welcome back Kornstad for a truly unique and thrilling performance, featuring a combination of jazz saxophone and operatic singing.
www.kornstad.com
After an exciting start to his career with the group Wibutee, and performing with the likes of Pat Metheny, Kornstad began exploring the sonic possibilities of the saxophone in collaborations and as a sideman. In 2007, Kornstad released his own solo effort in the album, “Single Engine.” One of Norway's leading newspapers, Dagbladet, fully understood the quality and significance of this release. The review entitled Absolute Kornstad, with the inserted headline A Definitive Artistic Breakthrough, was itself definitive: “Håkon Kornstad’s 'Single Engine' is an extraordinary album. Here all the bits and pieces come together, and loose threads find their place, while the music raises perhaps the most important milestone in an artist’s development: the definitive transition from 'promising' to 'mature and original.'”
By 2011, Kornstad was an incredibly established solo artist, and released his third solo album, “Symphonies in My Head.” It was at this time that Kornstad last appeared at Bohemia JazzFest, sharing his original and exciting music with audiences in the Czech Republic. 2011 also marks the year that Kornstad began his studies at Operahøgskolen (The Academy of Opera) at the Kunsthøgskolen I Oslo (Oslo National Academy of the Arts), where he completed his master studies as operatic tenor in May 2014.
Today, Kornstad's sound is an exciting meeting of jazz and opera. In March of 2015 Kornstad performed in London for a solo concert at the King’s Place. Among the audience members was legendary jazz critic at The Guardian, John Fordham: “It could have been a virtuosic circus act, but in Kornstad’s hands was a musical tour de force.” He credited the concert four stars.
This summer, BJF is thrilled to welcome back Kornstad for a truly unique and thrilling performance, featuring a combination of jazz saxophone and operatic singing.
www.kornstad.com