As the guest country, Norway is the focus of this year's Leipzig Book Fair. As a Jazzclub , we are building on this and presenting the Hildegunn Øiseth Quartet, a formation from the far north that is not only one of the absolute spearheads of contemporary jazz in its home country, but now also on the international stage.

Øiseth's inimitable trumpet playing is at the center of the sonic action: This reflects not only the instrumental studies she completed in the 1990s, but also and above all numerous trips around the globe. During a stay in Pakistan, she discovered the goat's horn, which not only plays a central role in Sufi ceremonies there, but also in traditional Norwegian music and now also in her quartet.

Together with her three fellow musicians, Øiseth not only succeeds in building bridges between cultures, but also between times and eras. And so we are delighted that we have now been able to get this exceptional formation to perform in the trade fair city in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy.

On this evening, the quartet will be accompanied by Karl die Große as a duo. The lyrics of Wencke Wollny's songs deal with the extraordinary in the everyday in an inimitable way and are far removed from indie staples. Their poetic power is just as captivating as the music that Wollny creates together with Antonia Hausmann on trombone. If you close your eyes while they are both playing, you would hardly think it was just two people on stage in the face of the fullness of sound.

Instrumentation Hildegunn Øiseth Quartet:

Hildegunn Øiseth (tr, voc, goat horn)

Espen Berg (p)

Magne Thormodsæter (b)

Per Oddvar Johansen (dr)

Cast Charlemagne Duo:

Wencke Wollny (git, kb, voc)

Antonia Hausmann (tb)