The winner of this year’s USBL Jazz Talent is Emil Bø!

Ahead of this years opening concert with Jan Garbarek Group and Trilok Gurtu in the Opera House, the winner of the USBL Jazz Talent award 2023 was announced by the director of USBL, Johan Bruun.

This year, the award goes to the talented trombonist Emil Bø. The prize consists of kr 60 000, a diploma designed by Bjørn Myhrer, and a concert during next year’s Oslo Jazz Festival.

In spite of his age, this year’s winner is already an experienced artist. He has played 300 concerts since 2018, in addition to working as a producer, and sound- and light technician. He is 23 years old and from Drammen and the last few years he has been studying jazz at Sund Folkehøyskole and NTNU in Trondheim.

Emil Bø explores his instrument to the extremes. Everything from playing the horns with pop bands at festivals, to solo concerts. It’s all about the acoustic sound that can be produced by a trombone, and how to make the trombone an interesting solo instrument.

We are looking forward to hearing him again during Oslo Jazz 2024, but for now he is playing with Neptune’s Habit and Andreas Røysum Ensemble this week.

Congratulations, Emil Bø!

Photo by: Matija Puzar