Reunion with award winner

Accordion, contemporary music and jazz are three keywords that describe Ida Løvli Hidle's musical universe. She was last year's winner of the Kongsberg jazz festival's recruitment award, and on Thursday she accepted the award with a concert The barn.

Lövli Hidle is solidly classically schooled in accordion, but thrives on varying between different genres, including jazz. She also composes her own music. Last year, the 28-year-old released the jazz album King crab together with the group Pest to good reviews. About the musical combination of classical accordion and jazz, Løvli Hidle highlights the study environment at the Conservatory of Music in Trondheim. - During my bachelor's studies in the music department at I got to know some people in the jazz department and started playing some pop and jazz with them. Eventually we played more and more together and did lots of different things. I myself feel that I got into jazz later than everyone else. But I like to combine jazz and classical playing. Then I feel that I become much more inspired to play both genres.

Do you think you can add something to jazz with your classical education?

- Yes, I definitely think so. As classically trained, I have practiced a lot of technique. At the same time, I play a lot of contemporary music, and then you use the instrument in all possible ways. At the concert today, for example, the audience heard many strange sounds that I get out of the accordion. It is not certain that I would have had such a good knowledge of the instrument if I had not played so much contemporary music. - At the same time, I get to develop my way of playing contemporary music when I play with Skadedyr. Because when you work with improvisation, you get a much freer relationship with atonal music. So when I play contemporary music I always try to make it sound like free improvisation, and vice versa.

You have previously said that you are concerned that contemporary music should not only be perceived as "pling-plong music". Can you elaborate a bit?

- One thing is that if I'm going to make a living playing contemporary music, then someone has to want to listen to it. But I also think there is a great deal of beauty in contemporary music, and am passionate about conveying it. And I want more people to gain a slightly greater understanding of the music and experience that it is nice to listen to. Or that the music is exciting and that you can listen in a different way to other classical music. People don't have to understand everything, but it's important to me that they understand something or can get some image in their head when I play.

Can you say a little about what the recruitment award has meant to you musically and/or in other ways?

- The award has clearly been an inspiration to work more with jazz. As I said, I've never studied jazz, but I think it's fun and have started playing it more and more recently. And the award provides an inspiration to work more on exploring and perhaps creating my own expression. And in practical terms, I have been able to buy microphones for the instrument and other equipment that I really need. And to come back to the jazz festival and it's completely full in the venue is great fun. I see that as confirmation that what I do is appreciated, and that's nice.

Finally, what is your relationship with the Kongsberg Jazz Festival?

- I have been hanging out at the festival ever since we moved to Kongsberg. Especially when I studied music at high school and had a jazz camp at home and invited everyone in my class. We didn't have much money, but we saved up and brought the big stars with us. Or we went to all sorts of free concerts. So I have many incredibly good memories from the festival, it almost makes me want to do jazz camp again.

Kongsberg Jazz Festival's recruitment award

In 2005, Kongsberg Jazzfestival established a recruitment grant of NOK 25.000 for young musicians from the Kongsberg region. The purpose of the scholarship is to stimulate young musicians who have shown promising and ambitious beats as jazz musicians or within jazz-like rhythmic music. The festival hopes and wishes that the scholarship will encourage the award winners to continue investing in music/music education and a career as a musician. In 2015, the jury found no new candidates who meet the criteria.

Previous award winners:

Lars Kurverud (2005)

Eirik Tovsrud Knutsen (2006)

Christian Meaas Svendsen (2007)

Lindis Botolfsen (2008)

Merete Rustand Solli (2009)

Tom Haslan (2010)

Magnus Grimnes (2011)

Axel Skalstad (2012)

Oda Westli (2013

Ida Løvli Hidle (2014)

Text: Inger Johanne Midtgarden / Photo: Mats Even Omberg