Kjetil Bjerkestrand is one of the country's best-known keyboard players, who is also known as a composer, arranger and record producer. An incredibly experienced and recognised musician who has worked closely with the likes of Ray Charles, Sissel Kyrkjebø, A-ha and Arve Tellefsen, to name but a few.
Now he has started a collaboration with Hedvik Mollestad, who can safely be called one of the country's foremost guitarists. She trained as a jazz guitarist at the Norwegian Academy of Music, is internationally acclaimed, won the Spellemann Prize in the open class in both 2020 and 2021 and was artist in residence at Molde Jazz Festival in 2023.
The audience is invited to an exciting encounter with a fierce and hard-hitting jazz-rock guitarist, together with a unique master in the production of magnificent and lyrical synth landscapes (think A-ha) and piano playing.
In 2009, she was named Young Jazz Talent of the Year at Moldejazz and, as part of the award, was allowed to return the following year with her own band and new music. This resulted in her starting the Hedvig Mollestad Trio with Ellen Brekken on bass and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad on drums. The trio was nominated for the Spellemann Prize 2013 for the album All of them witches and for the Spellemann Prize 2021 for the album Ding dong. You're dead, both in the rock category.
She released her first solo album in Ekhidna in 2020. For the album, she won the Edvard Prize 2020 and the Spellemann Prize 2020, both in the open category. She received the musician award at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 2019 and the Gammleng Award in the musician category in 2021. For her second solo album, Tempest Revisited, she received the Spellemann Prize 2021 in the open category, the same year as her trio was nominated in the rock category.
Thomassen trained as a jazz guitarist at the Norwegian Academy of Music. In addition to her solo career and the Hedvig Mollestad Trio, she has played in a number of rock and jazz bands, including Thomassen Trio, Bronco Busters, Songs and Sweet Potatoes and Vom (as ‘Mester Pøggs’). She also plays a central role in Jarle Bernhoft and Hilde Marie Kjersem's groups, and has performed with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.
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Doors open at 18.45 with sale of Violetas pizza.
ARE YOU COMING BY TRAIN?
It's not a long walk from Ogna station to Ogna stage (15 min) but with Ogna Stage's Shuttle bus service, they pick up and drop off their fantastic audience members who are going to Ogna Stage at Ogna train station completely free of charge.
They arrange it so that those who take the train from Stavanger will be picked up at 18.50 (approx.). From Egersund at 19.36 (approx.).
They will also bring you to the station after the concert.
Ogna Scene wants to make it easy and comfortable for you.
NB. They only have one car... If there are many people to be driven, there may be a 5-10 minute wait.