Nordic Summer Jazz continues at Scandinavia House this July with performances from some of Scandinavia’s most talented jazz musicians, composers, and singers! On July 21, see acclaimed Norwegian guitarist and composer Jostein Gulbrandsen along with fellow jazz artists Ronen Itzik (drums) and Mike McGuirk (bass), performing live in Volvo Hall.

Tickets to this event must be purchased in advance online at the link above. To receive their complimentary tickets, ASF Members must first log into the Elevent ticketing platform using their member email before adding tickets to their cart. Attendees are required to follow all Scandinavia House safety protocols, including observing social distancing rules in signage. Please read our full safety protocols here.

About the Musicians

Jostein Gulbrandsen is a guitarist, composer, author and educator, originally from Norway, based in NYC since 2001. Gulbrandsen blends music from his native Norway with American jazz with compositions that are melodic and open-sounding, with more upbeat material drawing from swinging hard bebop mixed with blues and fusion. He has released three albums under his own name, Twelve (2007 Fresh Sound New Talent), Release of Tension (2011) and Looking Ahead (2018 Curling Legs records). He holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of music. His best-selling method book Modern Jazz and Fusion Guitar was released on Hal/Leonard in December 2016. Gulbrandsen has performed with his Quartet and Trio at Rochester International Jazz Festival,  Trondheim Jazz Festival(Norway), Nordic Jazz Festival (Washington DC), Faro International Guitar Festival (Portugal) and Acoustic Landscapes Guitar festival. He has also performed at Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Birdland, Blue Note NYC, 55 Bar, Smalls, BB Kings Blues Bar, Hard Rock Cafe NYC, Scandinavia House/Victor Borge Hall, Blues Alley and The Kennedy Center. He has held master classes at Trondheim Jazz Festival and The Music Conservatory in Agder (Norway) in Faro (Portugal)and at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (USA) and is a featured artist for Collings Guitars, Quilter Labs Amplification, Eventide Effects and Curt Mangan Strings. In addition to being an accomplished jazz and fusion guitarist and composer, Gulbrandsen is fluent in many other musical styles including blues, country, rock, pop, funk and classical guitar. Gulbrandsen has been interviewed  and reviewed by several major newspapers and magazines in his native Norway, including Dagblade, Adresseavisen, Trønderavisa, Namdalsavisa and Musikkpraksis and also US publications such as Vintage Guitar Magazine, Jazz Times, Jazz Trail and All About Jazz. His recent performances at the Rochester International Jazz festival and Trondheim Jazzfest (Norway), received great reviews.

A native of Jerusalem, Israel, drummer Ronen Itzik relocated to the United States in late 2000. After completing degrees at Berklee College of Music and Florida State University, he established a reputation as an in-demand drummer and sought-after recording artist in New York City. He has incorporated his unique background and knowledge of diverse musical styles into performances at venues such as the Village Vanguard, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Blue Note and Bimhuis. His numerous international appearances include jazz festivals in Israel, Germany, Korea, Spain, Belgium, Colombia, Canada and Ukraine. He has performed and recorded with jazz greats Lee Konitz, Gary Burton, Kenny Werner, Roy Hargrove, Marcus Roberts, and Arnie Lawrence among many others.

Bassist Mike McGuirk grew up in Portland, Oregon, and received a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, where he studied with Jeff Bradetich.  In 1997, he won the International Society of Bassists jazz bass competition. He has played and/or recorded with John Abercrombie, Marc Copland, David Liebman, Tim Hagans, Don Friedman, Joey Baron, Andy Laverne, Eliot Zigmund, Adam Nussbaum, Bennie Wallace, Mulgrew Miller, Billy Drummond, Renee Rosnes, Walt Weiskopf and Eddie Henderson among others.  Recently, he can be heard on Marc Copland’s Lunar featuring David Liebman, and Jed Levy’s Round and Round on Steeplechase records.