Søren Kjærgaard


Søren Kjærgaard’s work as a pianist, composer and improviser encompasses a variety of settings ranging from his trans-atlantic trio with drummer Andrew Cyrille and bassist Ben Street, to the duo collaboration with Torben Ulrich, the 82 year old legendary Danish tennis player and artist.

Most of his activities in recent years have been exploring and interweaving different approaches to music, converging elements of improvisation, composition, performance and practice into one dynamic field of play. This has lead to a manifold of international exchanges and a growing discography of critically acclaimed albums .
In the spring 2011, Søren did a four months artist residency at Meridian Gallery in San Francisco, collaborating with various Bay Area artists, and working on a larger piece for the Copenhagen Saxophone Quartet commissioned by the Danish Arts Agency.

He graduated at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in 2002, after having done his diploma in New York City. He has received numerous awards and grants, including 1st Prize in the Young Nordic Jazz Comets ('00), the Danish Radio Jazz Prize ('04), three Danish Music Award nominations ('06, '09) and a Danish Arts Council Prize Award ('10) for the album "Open Opus". Having released 9 albums as a leader and played on 30-some albums as a sideman, Kjærgaard has had a busy international calendar, touring in Europe, Asia, Canada and the US the past years.