MUSIC
Composes music based on experimental jazz, contemporary music and Balinese gamelan
Olga Witte composes music that intergrates elements of experiental jazz and Balinese gamelan.
In 2019-2021 Olga Witte has been working on two organ trios. Organ Trio No 1 is an abstract piece written for pipe organ, which Olga Witte herself serves, and two trombones played by Jens Kristian Bang and Jens Balder. Organ Trio No 2 is a musical tale about a mighty East Javanese witch, Calon Arang written for pipe organ (Olga Witte) and Anja Nedremo on alto saxophone and Jacob Danielsen on tenor saxophone.
In 2021 the two trios were recorded in Skt. Lukas Kirke in Aarhus by Henrik Winther Hansen, and it was published December 19 2021 as the album Olga Witte Organ Trio No 1 + 2.
Olga is active in the composer's association ToneArt, where she several times has composed for groups. In the videos below the piece Beating of the Two Dimensional mare is performed in the Symphonic Hall in the Concert Hall in Aarhus for the ToneArt project: Under nattens overflade (Below the Surface of the Night).
She has arranged and composed several tunes for Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. Below is a tune by the group Abekejser, performed by Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and Abekejser in November 2020. Here she also combines jazz with principles from Balinese gamelan.
Olga Witte Organ Trio No 1
Olga Witte Organ Trio No 2 - music video produced by Olga Witte with the puppeteer/dalang I Wayan Mardika and his assistants visualising the story of Calon Arang.
Tunes with other orchestras such as Aarhus Improvisers Orchestra, WitteKjær Duo and not least her debut concert: The Sensation of Ethnographic Things.
Olga Witte was commissioned by Jazz I Trekanten to create an hour long concert for the UNESCO Heritage town, Christiansfeld. She composed a grand work for mixed choir, brass ensemble and five experimental musicians: Three saxofonists, double bass and church organ. It was performed with great success on the 12th of August 2023. The composition was supported by The Danish Art Foundation and Dansk Komponistforening/KODA kultur. Read what the priest in Brødremenigheden, Jørgen Bøytler, writes about the music here.