CV

AGERGAARD- foto Jonas Lyngdam-20 (1).jpg

Thomas Agergaard, 1962 (DK) is a composer, saxophonist and flutist whose work explores the meeting point between composed structure and open improvisation. Moving freely between contemporary music, experimental jazz and interdisciplinary art, his practice centers on deep listening, resonance and the subtle relationships between sound, space and human perception.

Over the past decades he has collaborated with a wide range of international artists including Marilyn Mazur, Django Bates, Greg Cohen, Andrew Hill, Miroslav Vitouš, Nils Petter Molvær, John Tchicai, Tim Berne, Jørgen Teller, Jim Black, Hank Roberts, Nasheet Waits, Herb Robertson and Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Simon Toldam, Kim Kristensen, Peter Bruun, Sissel Vera Pettersen, Joakim Künn, Axel Dörner.

His work appears on numerous recordings, including Garden of Sounds with pianist Lars Jansson and the Jazzpar Octet album Little Machines. He has also created music for ensembles, choirs, museums and interdisciplinary projects, including Mass for the Sea, composed for the exhibition Draget mod Dybet at Strandingsmuseum St. George, and Bach Perspective with cellist Tobias van der Pals. His compositions have been written for artists and ensembles such as Kathrine Windfeld Big Band, Katrine Gislinge, Copenhagen Art Ensemble, the Danish Saxophone Quartet and the vocal ensemble Ung Klang, whose performance of Mass for the Sea received a Gold Medal at an international choir competition in Australia in 2024.

Alongside his performing and composing career, Agergaard has initiated numerous cultural projects and collaborations across art, science and public discourse. He has worked with astrophysicist Uffe Gråe Jørgensen and historian Christopher Jacob Ries on interdisciplinary events combining music, storytelling and scientific reflection. He is also the founder of the music association MUSE, dedicated to bringing live music to audiences who rarely have access to concerts, including people living with dementia, visual impairment and social vulnerability.

Agergaard has released more than twenty recordings as leader and collaborator and has received several grants from the Danish Arts Foundation, including the prestigious three-year working grant. He currently serves on the project committee of the Danish Composers’ Society.

Her er en præcis oversigt over citaterne og hvilke udgivelser/anmeldelser de kommer fra, så du kan bruge dem korrekt i pressekit, hjemmeside eller fondsansøgninger.

Internationale citater – med kilde og udgivelse

1

“A delicate and interesting sound palette… with fine melodies played with sensitivity.”

Medie: JazzViews (UK)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (Jazz Views)

2

“Agergaard proves himself to be a distinctive composer.”

Medie: JazzViews (UK)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (Jazz Views)

3

“Full and round in the middle and lower register, with a delicate and light sound in the upper register.”

Medie: JazzViews (UK)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (Jazz Views)

4

“The results are both inspiring and beautiful to listen to.”

Medie: MainlyPiano (USA)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (mainlypiano.com)

5

“Smooth, open and very soulful.”

Medie: MainlyPiano (USA)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (mainlypiano.com)

6

“Delivering comfort and melancholy in equal measure.”

Medie: Jazzfuel (UK)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (Jazzfuel)

7

“Ebbing and flowing between composition and improvisation with ease and playfulness.”

Medie: Jazzfuel (UK)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (Jazzfuel)

8

“Meditative beauty.”

Medie: Lira (SE)
Anmeldelse af: Garden of Sounds – Lars Jansson / Thomas Agergaard (2023) (Lira)

💡 Vigtig observation:
De stærkeste internationale citater, der cirkulerer lige nu, stammer næsten alle fra albummet Garden of Sounds, fordi det er det mest internationalt anmeldte af dine nyere projekter.

✅ Hvis du vil, kan jeg også lave noget meget nyttigt for dig:

en perfekt press-quote blok (6 citater) som ser professionel ud i EPK
en “headline quote” til forsiden af dit CV
en press-side som ligner ECM-kunstneres pressekit

Det kan faktisk gøre dit CV og dine ansøgninger markant stærkere.

CV

Thomas Agergaard født 1962 og opvokset i Charlottenlund ved København. Han startede som barn med at spille tværfløjte, - senere også tenor- og sopransaxofon. Han har i dag virke som komponist, musiker og kapelmester og har adskillige anmelderroste udgivelser bag sig.

Han er initiativtager til flere kulturelle events og har en række udstillinger som billedkunstner.

Har løbende igennem hele karrieren haft tværfagligt samarbejde både inden for kultur, historie og videnskab.

Udvalgte kompositioner:

2024 Mass for the Sea part two - værk til Strandingsmuseet i Thorsminde udstilling Draget mod Dybet

2023 Ung Klang - (Mass for the Sea)

2022 The Paper Trio - Randi Pontoppidan, Greg Cohen, Thomas Agergaard

2022 Sunset Boulevard - Værk til Ruth Campau’s soloudstilling på Bornholms Kunstmuseum

2021 Bach Perspective - (Tobias van der Pals: Cello - Thomas Agergaard: Saxofoner)

2018 Black Swan - for Kathrine Windfeld Big Band.

2017 Huskunstner på Christiansborg: Forgotten Beats, opført på Charlottenborg Efterårsudstilling

2016 Dyret, et kunstnerisk portræt af en udstilling

2016 Earth Calls, for the Usmivka: Bulgarsk kvindekor

2015 Sounds of the Planets: Geologisk Museum i København

2014 Messer Kvartetten

Yderligere kompositioner for:

Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Katrine Gislinge (Piano), Tobias van der Pals (Cello), Kathrine Windfeld Big Band, PACE, Kinder Kinder Festival: Hamburg, Messer String Quintet, Reed5, LIFT Duo.

TA har blandt andre spillet med følgende musikere:

Django Bates, Miroslav Vitous, Andrew Hill, Nils Peter Molvær, John Tchicai, Peter Ole Jørgensen, Zapolski Quartet, Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, Jim Blac, Hank Roberts, Scott Colley, Nasheet Waits, Herb Robertson, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Jørgen Teller

TA sidder i Dansk Komponist Forenings Projektudvalg 2023

Medlem af Lundsgaard Gods Advisory Board 2019

Medlem af Gruppen, stiftet af Magnus Heunicke og Claus Andersen for udvikling af Næstved. Fra 2018 - 2022

Diskografi

2024 Mass for the Sea ((Ung Klang) Draget mod Dybet, udstilling Strandingsmuseet St. George
2023 Garden of Sounds
Green Cities - Thomas Agergaard Kvartet (rundet 4,8 millioner streams på spotify)
2020: Testing 1-2-3-4 (April Records, genudgivelse på vinyl og streaming).

2018: Black Swan, With Kathrine Windfeld Big Band
2011:Convocation LIFT + Thomas Agergaard (TimeSpan Records)
2010: Pace/Thomas Agergaard with Pace Percussion Trio/ Thomas Agergaard (Gateway Music)
2009: Growth (TimeSpan Records)
2007: The all Ears Trio / Boiler, Tchicai, Agergaard, Peter Ole Jørgensen, Sirone
2004: The Andrew Hill Octet +1 (The day the day stood still ) (stxcd 20412)
2002: Poetry depARTment af Poul Borum (Storyville Records)
2001: Die Schneekönigin (Deutsche Grammophon)
2000: Spirit and Facts with Ok Nok Kongo (Dacapo/TimeSpan Records)
1998: Testing 1-2-3-4 with Thomas Agergaard Kvartet (ManRec)

Priser og nomineringer:

Præmieret af Statens Kunstfond for Ok Nok Kongo Plays Thomas Agergaard and John Tchicai - 1995

Hæderspris af DJBFA - 2001

Modtager Statens Kunstfonds treårige arbejdslegat 2002.

Modtaget arbejdslegater fra Statens Kunstfond siden 1993 - 2024

Anmeldelser

Lars Jansson & Thomas Agergaard,

Garden of Sounds.

Lars Jansson (piano and organ) and Thomas Agergaard (saxophones, alto flute) are both prominent on the Scandinavian jazz scene. Here, they display remarkable musical compatibility throughout a richly textured instrumental collection that includes compositions by each of them as well as several co-writes and a moody reading of George Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy.” If you’re looking for a consistently beautiful performance that’s as soothing as anything by the late George Winston, you’ve come to the right place.

Mike Greenblatt

Jul 28, 2023

Leary of there being no rhythm section, approaching the artistry of Scandinavian duo Lars Jansson and Thomas Agergaard on Garden of Sounds (Arts) seemed uninviting. No bass or drums? Yet within the first few minutes of the opening title track, the quiet contentment, the comfort of beauty and the serenity of their melancholy poured forth to the point of, as had happened in the past with other rather magical albums, this listener stopping all activity to stare in awe at the music cascading out of the speakers. Lars on piano and organ with Thomas on sax and flute meld into the mystic combining trad, Euro and free elements into a seamless whole. This is gorgeous stuff and there’s certainly enough going on from gentle swing to avant-garde-lite to tweaked melodies (no one’s done Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy”quite like this). This pair does not need a rhythm section.

Haven er et fænomen med paradokser. Vi vil gerne have naturen tæt på, men kun i begrænset og kontrolleret omfang. Vi vil gerne kunne gå ud i vores have og falde i kontemplation, men samtidig kalder den på en arbejdsindsats for at kunne forblive rum for afslapning. En helt anden slags have - fri af paradokser - findes på GARDEN OF SOUNDS. De to musikere tegner sig nogenlunde ligeligt for kompositionerne, men den smukke I Loves You Porgy er skrevet af Gershwin.

Der refereres til John Cage, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Haden og Keith Jarrett på en måde en tilbageskuende inspiration, men i mødet mellem de to improviserende mestre opstår et tidløst univers, hvor melodiernes titler inviterer til hverdags-dvælen, fuglene og de legende børns skønhed.

Benedicta Pécseli

Arts. TA (fl/ts/sp), LJ (key). Denmark 2022.

Moonstone Journey

Music by John Tchicai, played by Ok Nok ... Kongo

Thomas first and foremost plays an outstanding tenor sax, but in addition keeps making the headlines as a composer and arranger involved in numerous, innovative projects.

–Czas–

Tchicai’s soprano sax along with the extremely talented multi-woodwind man, Thomas Agergaard chair the lead solo duties as “A Chaos With Some Kind of Order” steadily evolves .

Glenn Astarita

Downbeat

Press Quotes on Hippo Road – Paper Trio

“An ode to transformation… where creativity flows freely, like ink across a blank page. A transcendent musical experience blending jazz, experimental sound art, and the pure magic of improvisation.”
— Vito Camarretta

“Excellent… abstract, yet at the same time intoxicating and engaging.”
— PT FeltHat

“Interesting… always stimulating.”
— Il Manifesto (Italy)

“A sculptural sonic universe. The atmosphere is relaxed and conversational, highlighting the deep connection between these resourceful improvisers, who move seamlessly between ideas drawn from jazz, folk, and classical music.”
— Eyal Hareuveni

“A fascinating musical project that explores the boundaries between jazz, folklore, and new music.”
— African Paper (Germany)

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