Maria Schneider med Trondheimsolistene og Eir Inderhaug

Molde is the jazz town where Bjørnson spent his youth, and has a literature festival under his name. As such, it is quite natural that this year's Artist in residence concludes in Molde Domkirke with music based on two of the American continent's great poets, Ted Kooser and Carlos Drummond de Adrade. Kooser had the honorary title "Poet Laureate" at the Library of Congress from 2004 - 2006 and is still active. His Brazilian colleague Carlos Drummond de Adrade died in 1987 and was one of Brazil's most famous poets. The poets have in common that their poetry is rooted in everyday events and local environments.

It is no wonder that an American jazz composer like Maria Schneider writes great music for sopranos and chamber orchestra. The heritage of European music is one of the jazz building blocks, and the lineage from Duke Ellington to Maria Schneider's mentor Gil Evans is not long. Ellington himself was fascinated by the musical impressionist Claude Debussy. Something he had in common with the Spanish composers Manuel de Falla and Joaquín Rodrigo - who were again key inspirators for Gil Evans. Several American critics believe that Maria Schneider, with the album "Winter Morning Walks", has stood as one of America's greatest surviving composers.

Singer soloist is Eir Inderhaug. She is soprano and has established herself as one of Norway's premier singers. She is a highly sought after soloist both in Norway and on European opera scene. She was awarded the critics award in 2014 and has gained great progress with the role of Gepopo and Venus in Le grand macabre at the Komische Opera in Berlin, the Royal Copenhagen Theater and the Norwegian Opera & Ballet. She is also known for her interpretation of Solveig in the Peer Gynt show at Gålå.

The evening's orchestra consists of the Trondheim soloists, expanded with blowers from the Luftforsvarets Musikkorps ( The Air Force Music Corps) and Ensemble Denada. The songs in "Winter Morning Walks" are chamber music with elements of jazz, while "Carlos Drummond de Adrade Stories" has a bigger and more traditional setting. On a side note, it should also be mentioned that the evening's venue Molde Domkirke was opened in 1957. The same year as the album "Miles Ahead" with Gil Evans and Miles Davis came out. An album that has influenced jazz history, which largely shows the relationship between jazz and European art music.