Saxophonist and composer Maria Dybbroe has for more than 6 years composed for and fronted the critically acclaimed Danish band Caktus. Now they are playing for the first time in Oslo, expanded with the line-up of OJKOS, with both new music and new events for the occasion. It will be a sensual, grandiose and fragile concert in Caktus' musical universe, expanded with the energy and multifaceted sound of OJKOS. The music is long-winded, but also both dynamic and varied, with the help of playful instrumentation and exploration of the instruments' uniqueness. The starting point for the compositions are experiences from Maria's meetings with new people, smells of places, sounds and moods in Oslo over the past two years. In a pan-Scandinavian constellation, the experience of standing with one foot in two countries is unfolded, creating a new Nordic identity.

Maria Dybbroe is 30 years old, composer, saxophonist & clarinetist, originally from Denmark, and now living in Norway. In recent years, she has been a very active performer as a soloist and bandleader on the experimental jazz scene in the Nordics and in 2021 was nominated for "Composer of the Year" at the Danish fiddleman awards. She is active in the Danish Music Awards-nominated band Cactus, the award-winning improv group Maraton, in addition to the groups Køs, Orsa, Coriolis, Sidechains, Dynastiet and Copenhagen Clarinet Choir. Maria has studied at the Jutland Conservatory of Music in Aarhus and the Norwegian Academy of Music.

Crew:

Maria Dybbroe – composition & alto saxophone, Camilla Hole – soprano saxophone, Zeki Jindyl – alto saxophone, Sigrid Aftret – tenor saxophone & flute, Tina Lægreid Olsen – clarinets & baritone sax, Tancred Heyerdahl Husø – trumpet, Lyder Øvreås Røed – trumpet, Richard Köster – trumpet, Magnus Murphy Joelson - trombone, Johannes Fosse Solvang - trombone, Andreas Rotevatn - trombone, Arne Martin Nybo - guitar, Thorbjørn Kaas - cello, Frederik Hagner - double bass, Aleksander Hoholm - double bass, Knut Kvifte Nesheim - drums, Tobias Andreassen - drums

OJKOS is the Orchestra for jazz composers in Oslo, a regional orchestra for professional jazz composers based in Austlandet. The project took shape in the spring of 2018 as a collaboration between East Norwegian Jazz Center, Victoria National Jazz Scene and a project group of five jazz performers and composers. OJKOS is an arena for the composition of new music where all the members roll on having artistic responsibility.

OJKOS has received grants from the Culture Council and Oslo municipality.