Egil Kapstad


Egil Kapstad was a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He wrote the music for more than 50 productions for theater, and also composed for film and television drama. Kapstad composed classical works for orchestra, choir, string quartet, and smaller ensembles, and was a chief executive of the association Ny Musikk. He worked as a host in television for NRK. Egil Kapstad's Trio worked as a small orchestra in the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix of 1965.

Career

Kapstad was born in Oslo, Norway. He taught jazz history and improvisation at the Musikkonservatoriet i Kristiansand and performed as a pianist on more than 60 albums. Kapstad worked with jazz musician such as Karin Krog, Chet Baker, Red Mitchell, Bjørn Johansen, Bjarne Nerem, Jon Larsen and Magni Wentzel, being also known for his longstanding collaboration with poet Jan Erik Vold.
Kapstad received numerous awards and honors. He received Norsk jazzforbund's Buddyprisen in 1977, NOPA's award for the work of the year, in 1984, Gammleng-prisen in the class jazz in 1985 and was awarded Spellemannprisen in the class jazz twice, for the record Cherokee at the 1989 award of Spellemannprisen and Remembrance with the Egil Kapstad Trio at the 1994 award of Spellemannprisen.
Kapstad became a government scholar in 2003. He died in Kristiansand during July 2017.

Compositions (selected)

As leader/co-leader

As sideman