This Year’s Ella Prize Awarded to Ellen Andrea Wang

Every year, Oslo Jazz Festival presents the Ella Prize. The award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to Oslo’s jazz community. This year’s award ceremony took place at Cosmopolite on Monday evening, ahead of the concert featuring Brian Blade, Bugge Wesseltoft, Mari Boine, Ellen Andrea Wang, and Tuva Halse. The Ella Prize is an expression of recognition, gratitude, honor, and respect. The winner receives a painting by artist Fredrick Arnøy.

This year’s recipient is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Norwegian jazz. She moves seamlessly across the boundaries between jazz, pop, and indie, and has built a large audience both nationally and internationally through her strong melodic sensibility, driving bass playing, and beautiful vocals. She has released a number of critically acclaimed albums, won a Spellemann Award, and served as Artist in Residence at Moldejazz.

This year’s recipient has been an important musician for Oslo Jazz Festival ever since she was a young talent. She has performed regularly with her own band projects and played a central role in major productions such as the Oslo Jazz Festival Orchestra’s 30th anniversary celebration in 2016, as well as serving as Manu Katché’s bassist at the Norwegian National Opera in 2017. She also has a busy week at Oslo Jazz Festival this year: On Monday, she performed with festival artist Brian Blade to a sold-out Cosmopolite, and on Saturday she will perform her extraordinary choral work Magnificat together with Kvindelig Studenters Sangforening at Oslo Cathedral.

This year’s Ella Prize is awarded to ELLEN ANDREA WANG!

From left: Award winner Ellen Andrea Wang, Svein Skarheim, Chair of the Board of Oslo Jazz Festival, and Line Juul, Festival Director of Oslo Jazz Festival. Photo: Matija Puzar.

Ellen Andrea Wang’s choral work Magnificat will be performed at Oslo Cathedral on Saturday, August 15, 18.00. The concert is a collaboration between Oslo Jazz Festival and Oslo Chamber Music Festival.