Angrajazz Orchestra

Angrajazz Orchestra is a training/work-in-progress project held by the Cultural Association Angrajazz. Constituted in July 2002 and formed mainly by Terceira Island’s born musicians, the Orchestra gave its first concert at the 4th Angrajazz. Claus Nymark and Peter Moreira have been the Orchestra’s musical directors, from the beginning. In 2006 Angrajazz Orchestra released the CD “Angrajazz Orchestra with Paula Oliveira”.

The Orchestra has played with many well known Portuguese jazz musicians such as Paula Oliveira, Mário Laginha, Zé Eduardo Afonso Pais, Mário Barreiros, Hugo Alves, Luís Cunha, Paulo Gaspar and Ricardo Toscano. Apart from numerous concerts in Terceira Island, the Orchestra has performed in Lisbon for five times, in Funchal Jazz, and in the islands of São Jorge, São Miguel and Graciosa.

Throughout its existence, Angrajazz Orchestra has carried on monthly working sessions with its musical directors, and also with the guest musicians that have been featured at the Festival. This fact has made Angrajazz Orchestra become the main “jazz school” in the Azores. Together, the Angrajazz Orchestra and the Festival, can be considered as the main and most important means of unveiling the jazz music in the Azores.

In the year of 2015 the Angrajazz Orchestra participated in the cultural program “Lisboa na Rua” organized by the Lisbon EGEAC/Cultura agency and by Hot Clube de Portugal. The Orchestra was part of the cycle “The Art of the Big Band – 5 Jazz Orchestras” together with the Big Band de Jazz do Município da Nazaré, the Thoneline Orchestra – Germany, The Lisbon Underground Music Ensemble LUME and the Orquestra de Jazz do Hot Club de Portugal.

Last year, at the 18º Angrajazz, the Orchestra performed, for the first time in Portugal, the integral of “The Far East Suite” written by the great jazz musician Duke Ellington. In that occasion the Orchestra featured two very important Portuguese jazz musicians – clarinetist Paulo Gaspar and saxophonist Ricardo Toscano.

This 19º Angrajazz, the Orchestra will perform a program based on the celebration of the 2017 five centennials – Lena Horne; Tadd Dameron, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie

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