"When Olga Witte takes control and the music becomes more composed than improvised, a crew of two winds and pipe organ can perform wonders."

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Mads Hæsum Christensen, Seismograf, January 2022

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"Olga Witte has created her very own and deeply original musical language. She is so deep inside the music that it merges in a wonderfully logical way. It's wild and mild - and worth exploring in."

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Niels Overgård, Jazznyt, February 2022

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...is Olga Witte the Jon Lord of our time? Just a thought! The woman with the largest instrument of the day had composed Onkel Alberts Rumtid, inspired by a children's book of the same name [The time and space of uncle Albert by Russell Stannard] and his theory of relativity. And here the hymn dust was seriously blown out of the organ pipes in a frighteningly violent intro. One imagined the sound of the creation of the world, followed by Vogel's alto sax, which as a fresh sprout in the silence after chaos symbolized the origin of life. Kim Kristensen joined in with something that sounded like a Moog, and together they all breathed a final sigh of relief."

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Jørgen Nielsen, Jazzfest.dk, July 2021

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"Witte proves that she is something far more than an "ordinary" church organist. Because here we get extremely creative playing on the church organ in Skt. Luke's church in Aarhus, which differs relatively much from what one, at least according to what I think, is used to hearing in the church room on a daily basis. Beautiful, sacred and free. "

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Jan Granlie, Salt Peanuts, March 2022

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"In particular, the five trombone pieces are a fierce experiment between free jazz and gamelan...The six movements with saxophones are written with great care and here a musical spirituality is felt in the room."

 

Henrik Wolshaard-Iversen, Jazz Special, June 2022

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Others have written about Olga Witte:

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"The work really wants its listener, and you are embraced by the music's sensibility, necessity and warmth. The concert space is utilized to the maximum and the time aspect is used as an important tool in a mature way, which shows a great sense of form. In the work, improvisation, variation in the frequency ranges and dynamics are used to hold the listener and lead the music forward in a captivating and enveloping experience."

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Excerpt from the statement from Olga Witte's postgraduate advanced diploma, examinator and censors: Jens Christian "Chappe" Jensen, Hannah Schneider, Thommy Andersson, January 2023. Read the whole statement here in Danish..

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"Olga Witte has managed to create ground-breaking music, which in intensity, originality and musically in a superior style is a unique experience rarely seen - and heard."

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Jørgen Boytler (priest in the Moravian Church in Christiansfeld, Denmark) about the piece 'sluttet uendelighed' that was commisioned by Jazz I Trekanten and The Moravian Church in Christiansfeld, august 2023. Read the whole review here in Danish.

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"As audience at the concert, without any idea what I was getting myself into, I must say that it is one of the most amazing musical experiences of my life. Nothing less. It was wild!"

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Jens Bøye Nielsen, audience at the concert in The Moravian Church in Christiansfeld, Denmark, August 2023.

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"Olga's commitment, drive and curiosity have taken both her and jazz far and wide. She is one of today's musicians and arrangers who are bringing jazz forward."
 

Excerpt from the motivation for Olga Witte's getting the Danish jazz award, Gaffelprisen, February 2024. Read the whole motivation here.

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Originals in Danish/Sweedish:

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"Når Olga Witte tager styringen, og musikken bliver mere komponeret end improviseret, kan en besætning af to blæsere og pibeorgel udrette underværker."

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Mads Hæsum Christensen, Seismograf, January 2022

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"Olga Witte har skabt sit helt eget og dybt originale musikalske sprog. Hun er så dybt inde i musikken at det smelter sammen på forunderlig logisk vis. Det er vildt og mildt - og værd at gå på opdagelse i."

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Niels Overgård, Jazznyt, February 2022

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"... er Olga Witte vor tids Jon Lord? Bare en tanke! Kvinden med dagens største instrument havde skrevet Onkel Alberts Rumtid, inspireret af en børnebog af samme navn om Albert Einstein og hans relativitetsteori. Og her blev salmestøvet for alvor blæst ud af orgelpiberne i en skræmmende voldsom intro.

Man forestillede sig lyden af verdens skabelse, efterfulgt at Vogels altsax, der som en frisk spire i stilheden efter kaos symboliserede livets opståen. Kim Kristensen stemte i med noget, der lød som en Moog, og sammen åndede de alle ud i et forløsende suk."

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Jørgen Nielsen, Jazzfest.dk, July 2021

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"Witte beviser at hun er noe langt mer enn en «vanlig» kirkeorganist. For her får vi ytterst kreativt spill på kirkeorgelet i Skt. Lukas kirke i Aarhus, som skiller seg relativt mye fra det man, i alle fall etter hva jeg tror, er vant til å høre i kirkerommet til daglig. Vakkert, sakralt og fritt."

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Jan Granlie, Salt Peanuts, March 2022

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"Især er de fem basun-stykker et voldsomt eksperiment mellem fri-jazz og gamelan... De seks satser med saxofoner er skrevet med stor omhu og her fornemmes en musikalsk spiritualitet i rummet."

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Henrik Wolshaard-Iversen, Jazz Special, June 2022

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"Værket vil virkelig sin lytter, og man omfavnes af musikkens sensibilitet, nødvendighed og varme.

Koncertrummet udnyttes maksimalt og tidsaspektet bruges som et væsentligt virkemiddel på moden vis, hvilket viser stor formsans. I værket bruges improvisation, variation i frekvensområderne samt dynamik til at fastholde lytteren og føre musikken fremad i en fængslende og omsluttende oplevelse."

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Uddrag af udtalelse fra solistuddannelsen, prøveleder og censorer: Jens Christian "Chappe" Jensen, Hannah Schneider, Thommy Andersson, januar 2023. Læs hele udtalelsen her.

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"Olga Witte har formået at skabe banebrydende musik, der i intensitet, originalitet og musikalsk i overlegen stil er en unik oplevelse, som sjældent set – og hørt."

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Jørgen Boytler (præst i Brødremenighedens Kirke i Christiansfeld) om værket 'sluttet uendelighed' der er skrevet efter anmodning af Jazz I Trekanten og Brødremenigheden i Christiansfeld, august 2023. Læs den samlede anmeldelse her.

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"Som publikum til koncerten, uden nogen anelse om hvad jeg gik ind til, må jeg sige at det er en af de mest fantastiske musikoplevelser i mit liv. Intet mindre. Det var vildt!"

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Jens Bøye Nielsen, publikum til koncert i Brødremenigheden, august 2023.

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"Olgas engagement, virketrang og nysgerrighed har ført både hende og jazzen vidt omkring. Hun er en af nutidens musikere og arrangører, der bringer jazzen videre."

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Uddrag af motivationen fra Jazzselskabet i Aarhus for modtagelsen af Gaffelprisen, februar 2024. Læs hele motivationen her.æ

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Articles about Olga Witte

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Lars Knudsen (July, 2022) has written an article about the Olga Witte, her music and her inspiration from Balinese gamelan, read it here. 

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