Mari Kvien Brunvoll

Mari Kvien Brunvoll
Mari Kvien Brunvoll performs in St. Edmund Church during the 2015 Oslo Jazzfestival.
Background information
Born	(1984-02-20) 20 February 1984 (age 33) Molde, Møre og Romsdal
Origin	Norway
Genres	Electronica, Jazz, Traditional folk music
Instruments	Vocals, percussions
Labels	Jazzland Recordings
Website	www.jazzprofil.no/members/marikvienbrunvoll

Mari Kvien Brunvoll (born 20 February 1984 in Molde, Norway) is a Norwegian folk and jazz singer who has over the past few years attracted attention at festivals internationally with her solo concept, where the voice is complemented by small electronic and acoustic instruments in a sound inspired by jazz, pop and folk music. She is the daughter of Lawyer Knut Anker Brunvoll (b. 1945) and Jazz singer and pianist Inger Johanne Brunvoll (born Kvien in 1945), and the younger sister of songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Ane Brun (b. 1976) and photographer Bjørn Brunvoll (b. 1973).

Brunvoll is a 2010 graduate of the Grieg Academy in Bergen. She won the Vital Award at the Nattjazz, Bergen 2009. Her first appearance at Moldejazz was in 2010 with her solo project. Brunvoll is known for her amazing solo project, which has received critical acclaim through concerts at Nattjazz, Moldejazz, and a number of jazz clubs around Europe.

As a student in the Jazz program at Grieg Academy she was the Norwegian representative at the International 12 Points festival in Stavanger in 2010. The four-day gathering for artists and bands from twelve countries showed the diversity and power of today's young European music improvisers. Brunvoll's performance is documented on her self-titled debut album from 20112.

Bugge Wesseltoft picked "the extremely talented" Brunvoll as one of three promising musicians for a presentation at Bylarm 2010. He played a double concerto with her in Amsterdam 2009.

Brunvoll has since 2000 performed extensively at festivals in Norway and across Europe. Her contributions at Nattjazz (she won the talent award at Nattjazz in 2009), Moldejazz and the Øyafestivalen in Oslo is just the top of the list. She received the Vozzajazz award in 2011, played at the Kilkenny Art Festival the same year and has cooperated in duo with Stein Urheim, who also received the Vossajazz Award in 2010 for his diverse career at the Norwegian jazz scene.