Håkon Games Kornstad (born 5 April 1977 in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, Norway) is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

jazz musician (

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

bass saxophone The bass saxophone is one of the lowest-pitched members of the saxophone family—larger and lower than the more common baritone saxophone. It was likely the first type of saxophone built by Adolphe Sax, as first observed by Berlioz in 1842. It ...

, flute and

live looping Live looping is the recording and playback of a piece of music in real-time using either dedicated hardware devices, called loopers or phrase samplers, or software running on a computer with an audio interface. Musicians can loop with either loop ...

) and classically trained singer (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

), known from bands such as

Wibutee Wibutee (initiated 1998 in Trondheim, originally a trio named Triangle 1996–98) is a jazz band from Norway, mixing influences from current electronic (dance) music, jazz rock and improvisation. Biography Wibutee was originally formed as the ...

and Kornstad Trio, and collaborations with musicians such as

Ketil Bjørnstad Ketil Bjørnstad (born 25 April 1952) is a pianist, composer and author. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) ...

Anja Garbarek Anja Garbarek (born 24 July 1970 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She was raised in Oslo. Career Garbarek's debut album, ''Velkommen Inn'' (1992), is sung in Norwegian. She subsequently released three original albums contai ...

Live Maria Roggen Live Maria Roggen (born 22 March 1970) is a Norwegian jazz singer, songwriter and composer. Roggen was born in Oslo and educated at Foss High School (violin and vocals). She studied sociology and Musicology intermediate at the University of Osl ...

Bugge Wesseltoft Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft. Career In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after ...

Sidsel Endresen Sidsel Endresen (born 19 June 1952) is a Norwegian singer, composer, and actress. She was part of the Jon Eberson group. Since 1987, Endresen has pursued a successful solo career, recording for ECM. Career Endresen was one of the most prono ...

Paal Nilssen-Love Paal Nilssen-Love (born 24 December 1974) is a Norwegian drummer and composer in the jazz, free jazz and free improvisation genres. (in Norwegian) Early life Nilssen-Love was born in Molde, Norway. His parents ran a jazz club in Stavanger, and ...

Mats Eilertsen Mats Eilertsen (born 4 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is known for recording with numerous bands, including the Maria Kannegaard Trio, Ola Kvernberg, Nils Økland, Eldbjørg Raknes, Anders Aarum Trio, Eirik Hegdal, Sve ...

Knut Reiersrud Knut Reiersrud (born 12 February 1961) is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. Reiersrud has recorded and played with David Lindley, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Rickie ...

Jon Christensen Jon Christensen may refer to: * Jon Christensen (musician) Jon Ivar Christensen (20 March 1943 – 18 February 2020) was a Norwegian jazz drummer. He was married to actress, minister, and theater director Ellen Horn, Store Norske Leksikon (in ...

Eivind Aarset Eivind Aarset (born 23 March 1961) is a Norwegian guitarist who has worked with Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ute Lemper, Ketil Bjørnstad, Andy Sheppard, Mike Mainieri, Arild Andersen, Abraham Laboriel, Dhafer Youssef, Django Bates, and Nils ...

, and

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

Career

HåkonKornstad-TenorBattle1-Vossajazz2016

Kornstad was educated in the Jazz Program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium. During his studies he founded the jazz trio Triangle, together with

Per Zanussi Per Zanussi (born 1977) is an Italian–Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass) and composer, known from several bands and releases such as with Hamid Drake, Louis Moholo, Paal Nilssen-Love, Bobby Bradford, Sabir Mateen, Franklin Kiermyer, Stephe ...

(bass) and

Wetle Holte Wetle Holte (born 4 September 1973) is a Norwegian drummer and composer known for his collaborations with Silje Neergård, Kirsti Huke, Eivind Aarset, Wibutee, Bugge Wesseltoft, Anja Garbarek, and others. Life and career Holte was born in Ski ...

(drums). Later,

Erlend Skomsvoll Erlend Fredrik Skomsvoll (born 12 May 1969) is a Norwegian jazz musician (piano, keyboards, accordion, and tuba), band leader, composer and arranger, known from his own band Skomsork and the band Wibutee with Live Maria Roggen, Madrugada, and Ka ...

(piano) and

(vocals) joined the band, and this lineup evolved to become the band

(1998). He also put together the Håkon Kornstad Trio with

and

(1998–2003). Kornstad's collaboration with

Håvard Wiik Håvard Skarpnes Wiik (born 10 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, known from a number of recordings with bands like Atomic, and performances with musicians like Petter Wettre, Ola Kvernberg and Stian Carstensen. Career Wi ...

was manifested in two albums of duo recordings in 2001. He was involved with the free improvisation bands Tri-Dim and No Spaghetti Edition, and started the band Atomic in 2000. Kornstad has also been part of the bands of

(1999–2003),

(2006–), and

(2008–). Since 2003 Kornstad has focused on his solo projects, in which he plays acoustic saxophones along with electronics in an improvised setting, usually giving solo performances. These have also featured guest appearances from

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (born 23 September 1971 in Oppdal, Norway) is a Norwegian double bass, bassist active in the jazz and free jazz genres. (in Norwegian) Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) Career Flaten played electric bass in local f ...

and beatboxer Julian Sommerfelt. In addition to saxophones and electronics, Kornstad plays something he calls the "flutonett", which is a flute coupled with a clarinet mouthpiece. During a stay in New York in 2009 Kornstad became interested in opera, and began taking singing lessons with teachers there. From the autumn of 2011 he has been a student at ''Operahøgskolen'' (

KHiO The Oslo National Academy of the Arts ( no, Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, ''KHiO'') is a university college in Oslo, Norway, that provides education in visual arts, design and performing arts. It is one of two public institutes of higher learning in ...

), and debuted as a tenor singer in ''

Den Norske Opera The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet ( no, Den Norske Opera & Ballett, links=no) is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisati ...

'' in February 2012 as ''Il Podesta'' in a student production of the Mozart opera ''

La finta giardiniera ' ("The Pretend Garden-Girl"), K. 196, is an Italian-language opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in Munich in January 1775 when he was 18 years old and it received its first performance on 13 January at the in Munich. There is deb ...

''. In 2011 he was nominated for the

Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen, often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English, is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians. The award was established by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organizati ...

, in the category of This Year's Jazz Record, for ''Symphonies in My Head'' (Jazzland, 2011). He then presented his new project, ''Tenor Battle'', combining opera and jazz, at the International Jazz Festival

Nattjazz Bergen International Jazz Festival or Nattjazz, is one of the largest jazz festivals of Norway. The festival has a musical profile with an emphasis on ethnic and contemporary jazz. It is held annually in late May, coinciding with Festspillene ...

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

. The new band could best be described as a sort of updated salon orchestra, inspired by the LP era, where jazz standards coexist with opera arias and ballads are followed by improvisations in the known Kornstad style. Kornstad is known as one of the premier Norwegian saxophonists, with a tone so hot that one can be melted freely, his voice has the same impact.

Honors

*2002:

Kongsberg Jazz Award Kongsberg Jazz Festival or Kongsberg Jazzfestival is an international jazz festival that has been held annually in Kongsberg, Norway, since 1964. Artists Several worldwide great artists have visited Kongsberg during this festival; internation ...

, within the ''Håkon Kornstad Trio'' *2012: Enlisted as "Talent deserving further recognition" on tenor saxophone in

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

's annual critics poll *2014: Guinness Jazz in Europe Award *2015:

Buddyprisen Buddyprisen (established 1956 in Oslo, Norway) is an award, given annually by the Norwegian Jazz Forum to a Norwegian jazz musician that has "been an excellent performer and significantly involved in Norwegian jazz by other means". The award was a ...

Discography

As leader

;Solo albums *''Single Engine'' (

Jazzland Recordings Jazzland Recordings is a Norwegian jazz and improvised music label based in Oslo, Norway, often associated with nu jazz. It was founded in 1996 by pianist Bugge Wesseltoft to release his "New Conception of Jazz" and operate as a standalone label. ...

, 2007), with

(

Hammond B3 Organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...

(guitar),

(double bass) *''Dwell Time'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2009), with recordings from ''Sofienberg kirke'', (

Jan Erik Kongshaug Jan Erik Kongshaug (4 July 1944 – 5 November 2019) was a Norwegian sound engineer, jazz guitarist, and composer. Career Kongshaug was born in Trondheim, the son of guitarist John Kongshaug. Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) During his chi ...

(sound engineer), produced by Kornstad) *''Symphonies in My Head'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2011), with recordings from ''Sofienberg kirke'', (produced by Kornstad) ;With Håkon Kornstad Trio *''Space available'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2001) *''Live from Kongsberg'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2003) ;With Håkon Kornstad Band *''Tenor Battle'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2015) ;With Kornstad Ensemble and the

Norwegian Radio Orchestra The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, ''Kringkastingsorkestret'', abbreviated as KORK) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (''Norsk rikskringkasting AS'', or NRK). Its principal base is the ''Store Studi ...

*''Kornstad + KORK Live'' (

Grappa Music Grappa Musikkforlag (established 1983 in Norway) is a Norwegian music company initiated and directed by Helge Westbye. It is one of the oldest and biggest independent record companies in Norway today. The company represents prominent Norwegian a ...

, 2017)

As co-leader

;With ''

'' *''Newborn Thing'' (Jazzland Recordings, 1998) *''Eight Domestic Challenges'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2001) *''Playmachine'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2004) *''

Sweet Mental Wibutee (initiated 1998 in Trondheim, originally a trio named Triangle 1996–98) is a jazz band from Norway, mixing influences from current electronic (dance) music, jazz rock and improvisation. Biography Wibutee was originally formed as the ...

'' (Sonne Disk, 2006) ;With ''Tri-Dim'' *''Tri-Dimprovisations'' (bp, 1999) *''Tri-Dim feat. Barry Guy'' (Sofa Recordings, 2001) ;With

(duo) *''Eight Tunes We Like'' (Moserobie, 2005) *''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (Moserobie, 2006) ;With

Maria Kannegaard Maria Kannegaard (born 6 October 1970) is a Danish-born Norwegian jazz musician and pianist. She has lived in Norway since age 10. She is known from her own ''Maria Kannegaard trio'' and cooperation with, among others Live Maria Roggen's ''LiveB ...

*''Maryland'' (Moserobie, 2008) *''Maryland – Live!'' (Moserobie, 2009) ;With

and

*''Mitt hjerte alltid vanker'' (Compunctio, 2011) *''Mitt hjerte alltid vanker II'' (Compunctio, 2011) ;With others *''Schlinger'' (

Smalltown Supersound Smalltown Supersound is an independent record label, founded in Flekkefjord in 1993 and now based in Oslo, Norway. It is dedicated to new forms of jazz, rock and electronic music. Their catalog features albums by Kelly Lee Owens, Deathprod, Nene ...

, 2003), with

*''Jazzland Community'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2007), with various artists *''Rite'' (

Grappa Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 US proof). Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the poma ...

, 2008), with

Unni Løvlid Unni Løvlid (born 23 March 1976) is a Norwegian musician. She was raised in Hornindal, Sogn og Fjordane, where she was taught to play piano, fiddle, and Hardanger fiddle. Her interest in folk music was initiated by her mother, Oline Ragnhild ...

*''Elise'' (Compunctio, 2008), with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten

As sideman

;With ''

'' *''A Passion for John Donne'' (ECM, 2014) ;With ''

Sternklang ''Sternklang'' (Star Sound), is "park music for five groups" composed in 1971 by Karlheinz Stockhausen, and bears the work number 34 in his catalogue of compositions. The score is dedicated to his spouse, Mary Bauermeister, and a performance of th ...

'' *''My Time is Yours'' (, 2003) *''Transistor Beach'' (, 2006) ;With ''No Spaghetti Edition'' *''Listen ... and tell me what it was'' (Sofa Recordings, 2001) *''Pasta variations'' (Sofa Recordings, 2002) ;With others *''Glow'' (Curling Legs, 2000), with

Jacob Young Jacob Wayne Young (born September 10, 1979) is an American actor and producer. He is a five-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 2002 for his role as Lucky Spencer in the soap opera ''General Hospital'' (2000–2003). He is best know ...

*''Moving'' (Jazzland Recordings, 2001), with

*''Open Reminder'' (Melektronikk, 2004), with ''ARM'' *''Retrospective'' (

F Communications F Communications, also known as FCom, was a French record label based in Paris. It was founded in 1994 by Eric Morand and Laurent Garnier. It produces dance and electronic music by artists like Avril, Garnier, and Mr. Oizo amongst many others. ...

, 2006), with

Laurent Garnier Laurent Garnier (born 1 February 1966), also known as Choice, is a French electronic music producer and DJ. Garnier began DJing in Manchester during the late 1980s. He became a producer in the early 1990s and recorded several albums. Early influ ...

*"Liarbird" (Jazzland Recordings, 2011), with

Ola Kvernberg Ola Kvernberg (born 16 June 1981) is a Norwegian jazz musician known for his virtuosic string swing violin playing and his international performances. He is the son of traditional musicians Liv Rypdal Kvernberg and Torbjørn Kvernberg, and the br ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kornstad, Hakon 20th-century Norwegian male singers 21st-century Norwegian male singers 21st-century Norwegian singers 20th-century Norwegian saxophonists 21st-century Norwegian saxophonists Norwegian operatic tenors Norwegian jazz saxophonists Norwegian jazz composers Male jazz composers Norwegian University of Science and Technology alumni Musicians from Oslo 1977 births Living people 20th-century saxophonists Wibutee members Jazzland Recordings (1997) artists Smalltown Supersound artists Grappa Music artists