Jan Gunnar Hoff

Jan Gunnar Hoff (born 22 October 1958 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (piano), Composer, Arranger and Professor, living in Bodø, known from cooperations with great Jazz musicians like Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Lars Danielsson, John Surman, Karin Krog, Maria Joao, Marilyn Mazur, Anders Jormin, Arve Henriksen, Per Jørgensen, Alex Acuna, Mike Stern, Ernst-Wiggo Sandbakk, Per Mathisen, Arild Andersen, Nils Petter Molvær, Ståle Storløkken, Audun Kleive and Mathias Eick.

Career
Hoff is a graduate of the Teachers' College in Bodø and Bergen, and was further educated on the Jazz program at Trondhein musikkonservatorium under Terje Bjørklund (1986–89), and in Composisjon at Norges Musikkhøgskole (2001). He had his musical debut with his own trio on Ad Lib Jazzklubb (1976). He also played in local jazz projects with artists such as Tore Johansen, Roger Johansen, Jon Christensen and Jon Eberson in 1977-78.

Hoff is working as a Professor at the University of Tromsø and the University of Agder. He co-founded The Groove Valley JazzCamp in Beiarn, and was artistic director of TGV Jazz camp in the period 2005-2009. Hoff has also initiated Bodø Jazz Open which was launched in January 2011, where he is Chairman. In addition he has established its own record label Magma Music 2011, as part of his own firm.

Honors

 * «Stubøprisen» 1997
 * «Statens arbeidsstipend» 2000–02
 * «Edvardprisen» Church Music, for Meditatus, 2005
 * «Nordlysprisen» 2006

Works

 * FASER, a suite in four movements for the consert debut at FINN 1992
 * Winds, sea and rhythm, for regional musicians Bodø Kommune 2001
 * Blå sitron, for String quartet and Jazz trio 2002
 * Meditatus, premiered at Nattjazz in Bodø Domkirke Desember 17 2004 with Bodø Domkor (Edvard Prize in 2005)
 * Free Flow Songs, commissioned for Vossajazz 2005 (tour in 2006)
 * Magma, commissioned work for Jan Gunnar Hoff Group feat. Mike Stern 2006
 * Seven seasons, commissioned work for Festspillene in Harstad 2007
 * Fantasie nr.1, commissioned work for NMFU 2007
 * Songs for trio, commissioned work for Acuna/Hoff/Mathisen CD Jungle City 2008
 * Electric blue, commissioned work for NMFU 2009
 * For ingens øyne, commissioned work for Hamsunjubileet 2009, with Bjørn Sundquist, Audun Kleive, Bjørn Kjellemyr
 * Pictures, commissioned work for Nordland Musikkfestuke 2011, with Knut Erik Sundquist, Unni Wilhelmsen, and others
 * Living, commissioned work for Bodø Jazz Open 2012, with Anders Jormin, Arve Henriksen, Marilyn Mazur

Discography

 * Syklus (Odin Records, 1993)
 * Moving (Curling Legs, 1995)
 * Crosslands (Curling Legs, 1998)
 * In Town (Curling Legs, 2003)
 * Meditatus (Grappa, 2007), with Bodø Domkor
 * Magma (Grappa, 2008)
 * Jungle City (Alessa Records, 2009), with Acuna/Hoff/Mathisen
 * Equilibrium (Magma Music, 2011), with Ove Bjørken
 * Atmospheres (Magma Music, 2011), with Ove Bjørken