Registration is now open for this year’s Summer Session, which once again offers an intensive week of immersion, inspiration, and advanced jazz training at the highest international level. The event brings together a strong faculty of seven outstanding musicians. Representing a wide range of stylistic directions, the faculty includes both exciting new voices and more established, well-known artists.

The Summer Session is aimed at professional jazz musicians from both Denmark and abroad. Applications are open until Thursday, June 12. Once again, Krogerup Folk High School will host the event, which takes place from August 3 to 9.

This year’s faculty includes Arooj Aftab, Luques Curtis, María Grand, Julia Hülsmann, Nasheet Waits, as well as Elena Pinderhughes and Gilad Hekselman, who will lead a combo together.

Arooj Aftab

Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani-American singer, composer, and producer known for her unique blend of jazz, minimalism, Sufi poetry, and South Asian classical traditions. She gained international recognition with her 2021 album Vulture Prince, and in 2022, she became the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy Award.

Luques Curtis

Bassist Luques Curtis began playing bass at the age of 12 and went on to study at Berklee College of Music under John Lockwood and Ron Mahdi. He has performed with renowned artists such as Eddie Palmieri, Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Gary Burton, and his Grammy-winning brother, Zaccai Curtis. Luques is also the co-founder of the independent label Truth Revolution Records.

María Grand

Swiss-born saxophonist María Grand has, despite her relatively short career, already performed extensively as both a bandleader and sidewoman. Her debut EP, released in 2017, was named one of the year’s best debut recordings by The NYC Jazz Record. She followed up with her first full-length album in 2018. Grand has played with artists such as Joel Ross, Kanoa Mendenhall, Mary Halvorson, Jen Shyu, Craig Taborn, Savannah Harris, Vijay Iyer, and many others.

Julia Hülsmann

German pianist and composer Julia Hülsmann has received numerous accolades, including the German Jazz Gold Award for Scattering Poems, the WDR Jazz Prize Honorary Award in 2016, and the Music Author’s Prize for Jazz/Crossover Composition in 2022. She has released several albums on the renowned ECM label.

Elena Pinderhughes & Gilad Hekselman

Elena Pinderhughes (PR photo at top of article) is an American jazz flutist, vocalist, and composer. She has performed with a number of prominent artists, including Herbie Hancock, Common, Esperanza Spalding, Carlos Santana, and Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah. Her musical style blends jazz with elements of hip-hop, R&B, and Latin rhythms.

Guitarist Gilad Hekselman showed remarkable talent at an early age and quickly became a central figure in New York’s jazz scene. He has performed at prestigious venues such as the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, and Smalls in New York, and at major international jazz festivals including Montreux, North Sea, and Montreal. He has played with artists such as Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Esperanza Spalding, John Scofield, Ari Hoenig, and Denmark’s own Lilly.

Nasheet Waits

American drummer Nasheet Waits is a prominent figure on the contemporary jazz scene, known for navigating jazz traditions while constantly exploring new musical directions. He has performed with a wide range of acclaimed musicians, including Jason Moran, Andrew Hill, Fred Hersch, and William Parker.

Practical Information – Summer Session 2025

Dates:
August 3–9, 2024

Location:
Krogerup Folk High School
Krogerupvej 13, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark

Price:
DKK 7,000 for musicians residing in Denmark
DKK 8,000 (approx. €1,070) for international musicians

The fee covers accommodation, all meals, and full tuition during the Summer Session.

Application deadline: Thursday, June 12
Applicants can expect to receive a response regarding admission in the beginning of week 25. Sign up here.