Legendary Danish Radio Big Band launches limited U.S. tour in Blacksburg

For over 50 years, the Danish Radio Big Band has been a driving force in Copenhagen’s thriving jazz scene, earning its reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic and innovative ensembles. Now led by one of today’s most sought-after young jazz composers and conductors, Miho Hazama, the band brings its powerhouse sound to the United States for the first time in 30 years, performing with jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant.

The band kicks off this exclusive, four-date run with a performance at the Center for the Arts on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. The tour culminates with a stop at New York City’s famed Jazz at Lincoln Center.

In Blacksburg, the Danish Radio Big Band and current Grammy nominee Hazama will present a mix of the composer’s newest works alongside music from the band’s extensive archive. Salvant, a three-time Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and composer known for her electrifying interpretations, returns to the center after her unforgettable 2023 debut.

About the artists

Danish Radio Big Band

The Danish Radio Big Band, often referred to as the Radioens Big Band, is a jazz big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964, when the Copenhagen jazz scene was particularly active and the city was regularly visited by prominent jazz artists from the U.S. Originally called the New Radio Dance Orchestra, in the early years the band was led by Ib Glindemann. Over the next few decades, many new faces joined — a succession of striking bandleaders, musicians, and guest soloists such as Chris Potter — who helped to develop the band into the experienced ensemble whose record releases and concerts have a devoted following all over the world. 

Cécile McLorin Salvant

A composer, singer, and visual artist, Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville, blues, theatre, jazz, baroque, and folkloric music. She is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists, and humor.

Salvant won the Thelonius Monk competition in 2010. She received Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for three consecutive albums — “The Window,” “Dreams and Daggers,” and “For One to Love” — and was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album, “WomanChild.” In 2020 Salvant received the MacArthur fellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award. 

Nonesuch Records released the two-time Grammy-nominated “Ghost Song” in 2022, and in 2023 the follow up “Mélusine,” which was also nominated for two Grammys. Released in September, “Oh Snap” includes 12 very personal songs composed and produced by Salvant. The album features longtime collaborators Sullivan Fortner, Yasushi Nakamura, and Kyle Poole, as well as cameos from singers June McDoom and Kate Davis. The songs reflect Salvant’s wide-ranging musical influences from her 1990s childhood in Miami — from boy bands to grunge to classical to folk — and include party tracks with beats, samba grooves, and quiet folk songs.

Miho Hazama

In 2019 Hazama took up the post as the Danish Radio Big Band's chief conductor, following Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, and Jim McNeely. Hazama released the first album featuring Danish Radio Big Band, “Imaginary Visions,” in 2021.

Lauded in Downbeat as one of “25 for the Future,” Hazama developed her signature jazz chamber orchestra, m_unit. Now having three full-length record releases, she has written for and expertly showcased the abilities of guest artists such as Joshua Redman, Lionel Loueke, Christian McBride, and Gil Goldstein. “Dancer in Nowhere,” the third album for m_unit, was nominated for a Grammy.

Composition is Hazama's true calling, and in addition to her effort with m_unit, she has created works for many different musical contexts and ensembles, most notably Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and Metropole Orkest.

This performance is supported in part by a gift from Catherine Karp Breske. Donor support makes it possible for the Center for the Arts to present world-class performances and meaningful engagement opportunities for students and the community. Learn how you can help support this work.

A listener’s guide before the concert

For longtime jazz fans or those hearing a big band live for the first time, a little context can deepen the experience. Ahead of the concert, explore “How to Listen to a Big Band,” a short blog post designed to help listeners relax into the music and enjoy every moment.

Related events

During their visit to Blacksburg, the artists will connect with Virginia Tech students through special campus engagement events. The Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) + Center hosts chief conductor Miho Hazama for a community-building discussion, while Cécile McLorin Salvant will share her approach to songwriting and artistry with poetry students.

Tickets

Tickets are $25-65 for general audience and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Center for the Arts box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Venue and parking information

The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jonathan Boulter at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email jboulter@vt.edu during regular business hours.