For professional jazz musicians

Summer Session is a unique educational event for Danish professional jazz musicians. The event takes place annually in August, featuring renowned international jazz artists as instructors. Over the years, legends such as Michael Brecker, Eddie Gomez, NHØP, Roy Haynes, Bobby Hutcherson, John Patitucci, Paul Bley, Yusef Lateef, Bill Frisell, and Geri Allen have taught at the Summer Session. The course not only builds new networks among Danish and international musicians, but also offers participants fresh inspiration and challenges.

The artistic director of Summer Session in Denmark is Nikolaj Hess.

What do you get out of participating in Summer Session?

• Networking, solidarity, new collaborations, and the development of musical projects among Danish jazz musicians.
• Opportunities for new partnerships with international experts.
• Continuing education alongside other professional jazz musicians.
• A week offering a good balance of teaching sessions, masterclasses, rotations between instructors, individual assignments, and “homework” in a unique setting for focus and concentration.
• A break from your busy life as a musician.

From Vallekilde to China

Summer Session started in 1968 at Vallekilde Højskole and is currently held at Krogerup Højskole in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen. Recently the educational project has also been exported to China, where it takes place yearly in Qinhuangdao during the years 2023-2026.

Who has taught at Summer Session?

Since 1997 the course’s primary aim has been to further educate professional musicians. Below is a list of faculty members over the years.

Summer Session China

In 2021, Jazz Danmark’s Chinese partners, in collaboration with a Danish faculty, hosted the first small-scale edition of Summer Session China – a sister event to the long-established Danish music camp for professional jazz musicians. The project has received support from the S.C. Van Foundation and will be held annually at the Aranya resort in the coastal city of Qinhuangdao from 2023 to 2026.

Danish-Chinese exchanges

Each year, 40–60 young Chinese musicians participate in the event, receiving instruction from Danish teachers, following the same format used in the Danish Summer Session.

Additionally, 2–6 Danish musicians participate annually as students, with the aim of creating new exchange opportunities between the two countries.

Danish faculty and leadership

Jazz Danmark coordinates Summer Session China in collaboration with Chinese journalist and DJ Zhang Youdai, who has long been a catalyst for exchanges between the Danish and Chinese jazz scenes. The artistic direction of the project is led by folk high school principal Anders AC Christensen.

Danish folk high school model is a hit in China

Denmark and China share a long tradition of strong cultural ties. The Danish folk high school tradition, which emphasizes voluntary participation and community over exams, is particularly appealing to the Chinese people. This open learning platform stands in contrast to the structured, professionalized Chinese education system and creates especially favorable conditions for working with improvisational music.