Aagre, Frøy, saxophonist, composer; b. Tønsberg, Norway, 08 June 1977

Frøy Aagre began playing saxophone at the age of twelve and later moved to England to study saxophone at Birmingham Conservatoire. Her fascination of tango music, resulted a semester as an exchange student at Conservatoiro Nacional Lopez Bouchardo in Buenos Aires for a semester. After receiving Bachelor of Music with Distinction at Birmingham Conservatoire, she moved to London to pursue a Masters degree at Middlesex University. Back in Norway, she studied Twentieth-Century Composition at Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. In 2001, she studied with the world famous saxophonist David Liebman in New York.

As well jazz influences Frøy Aagre’s music is influenced by classical music and one of her aims is that the improvisation and composition go together as a whole by improvising within the “language” of the tunes. In other words, she likes to blur the distinction between the written and the improvised. Aagre has a melodic approach to improvisation and composition and her influences range from Wayne Shorter and Kenny Wheeler to Bach, Messian and Astor Piazzolla.

She has released two cd’s with her Norwegian Quartet, consisting of Andreas Ulvo (piano), Audun Ellingsen (bass) and Freddy Wike (drums); Katalyze (2004) and Countryside (2007).

Besides being leader for her Norwegian Quartet, Frøy has performed with such musicians as Mike and Mark Mondesir, Mathias Eick, Kris Davis, Jeff Davis, Annette Aguilar, Eivind Opsvik, Michael Bates, Pee Wee Ellis, Thomas Strønen and Bjørn Kjellemyr. She has received many prizes and scholarships. She received the Norwegian Art Council´s Ensemble Funding in 2007 and the Composition Scholarship in 2005. In 1999 she received the annual jazz prize from the Norwegian Association of Jazz (1999).

Recordings:
Katalyze (2004)
Countryside (2007)
http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/aagre-fry