Bio
Frøy Aagre
Born
in Tønsberg, Norway, Frøy Aagre began
playing saxophone at the age of twelve and later moved
to England
to study saxophone at Birmingham Conservatoire. Her
fascination of tango music, resulted a semester
as an exchange student
at Conservatoiro Nacional Lopez Bouchardo in Buenos
Aires for a semester. After receiving Bachelor of Music
with
Distinction
at
Birmingham Conservatoire, she moved to London to pursue
a Masters degree at Middlesex University. Back in Norway,
she studied Twentieth-Century Composition at Norwegian
Academy of Music in Oslo. In 2001, she studied with
the world famous saxophonist David Liebman in New York.
Besides being leader for her Norwegian Quartet,
Frøy
has performed with such musicians as Pee Wee Ellis,
Mike and Mark Mondesir, Kris Davis, Jeff Davis, Annette
Aguilar, Eivind Opsvik, Michael Bates, Thomas Strønen
and Bjørn
Kjellemyr. Aagre has toured in Europe, USA and Africa
and played
at festivals like Copenhagen Jazzfestival, Aarhus Jazz
Festival and Prague Jazz Open.
She has received numerous prizes and scholarships. In
1999 she received the annual jazz prize from the Norwegian
Association of Jazz and in 2005 she received the prestigous
1-year Composition Scholarship from the Norwegian Government.
Her band
consist of:
Pianist
Andreas
Ulvo
Bass player Audun Ellingsen
Drummer Freddy Wike
Beautiful melodies accompanied by adventurous
arrangements “so easy to listen to, so engaging (…) like a soundtrack
to a great movie”. (jazzreview.com)
Frøy Aagre is Norways most critically acclaimed female jazz saxophonist.
Her music can be described as Nordic, lyrical jazz with “highly syncopated
songs ”
(O's Place Jazz, US). As
well jazz influences Frøy Aagre’s music is influenced by
classical music and one of her aims is that the improvisation and composition
go together as a whole by improvising within the “language” of
the tunes. In other words, she likes to blur the distinction between the
written and the improvised. Aagre’s influences range from Wayne Shorter
and Kenny Wheeler to Bach, Messian and Astor Piazzolla.
Aagre has a melodic approach to improvisation and composition
and with “surprising and fascinating melodic turns and unexpected rhythmic
ideas” (Dagbladet, NO) she takes the listener on a journey that is “downright
entertaining, at an emotional level.” (Jazzreview.com, US)
A good group sound is also very important and her Norwegian Quartet has developed
a unique musical interaction and they “truly functions as a band, each
member playing off one other and, above all, serving the songs." (All
About Jazz, US). The band consists of very talented musicians on the Norwegian
jazz scene: Andreas Ulvo (piano), Audun Ellingsen (bass) and Freddy Wike
(drums).
Frøy Aagre and her band’s second album Countryside has received
world wide acclaimed from critics and musicians alike. The album was rated
as one
of
the top ten jazz albums in 2007 by the Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen.
“ Her sensibility to stylistic references seems wide open, not committing
herself to the aesthetical preferences of any given style, but all the while
creating
a convincing total expression which is all her own.”
(Bjørn
Kruse, liner notes)
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