Dølajazz is a Norwegianjazz festival held atLillehammer in October each year. The festival was established in 1977 and first held in 1978.[1]
In its first year, the festival was the fourth largest Norwegian jazz festival afterMoldejazz,Kongsberg Jazzfestival andVossajazz. The founders were Kyrre Rosenvinge andRoger Ryberg.
DølaJazz has focused on both developing talent and the best of Norwegian jazz, and instituted Norsk Jazzstipend (The Norwegian Jazz Scholarship) in partnership withNorsk Jazzforbund (The Norwegian Jazz Federation) and Foreningen Norske Jazzmusikere (The Association of Norwegian Jazz Musicians). The festival will perform an annual commission, which is now christened Homecoming.[2]
Past commissions include:
Other composers of commissioned works:Frode Thingnæs, Øivind Pedersen, Helge Hurum,John Surman,Torgrim Sollid/Morten Lassem
In 2011 Carol and Thor Kvande was the hosts of Homecoming.
Since 2001, the project «Jazz Incubator» has been steady, in cooperation withHøgskolen i Lillehammer and various music conservatories in Scandinavia, with the aim to introduceNordic jazz talents and to provide training in cultural production. In recent years, it established a European jazz incubator.[3]
