Mary Halvorson CANIS MAJOR

Saturday, May 23, at 21:00
main stage

Mary Halvorson (el. guitar), Dave Adewumi (trumpet), Henry Fraser (double bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums)

Photo: Ernest Stuart

Mary Halvorson (b. 1980) is one of the most respected and innovative American jazz guitarists and composers of her generation. Known for her distinctive expression, she defies unambiguous genre labels, skillfully blending traditional and modern jazz with elements of avant-garde, experimental rock, folk and new music. Since 2017, she has topped the Downbeat Critics Poll as Guitarist of the Year for nine consecutive years. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. She has featured on over 75 albums as band leader, co-leader or band member. At the Festival, Halvorson will present a brand-new quartet that debuted in 2025 at the Jazz Gallery, followed by a concert at the Vision Festival, where the quartet was the highlight of the fourth night. The band will perform entirely new music written by Halvorson specifically for this lineup. Alongside her longtime collaborator, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, the band features double bassist Henry Fraser and trumpeter Dave Adewumi, with whom she is collaborating for the first time. “Canis Major feels like the start of something very special”, says Halvorson, “the music has been growing exponentially each time we play. I’ve really been enjoying the depth, interplay and intensity that this configuration brings to my music.”