Hans Peter Neergård

Hans Peter Neergård grew up in Vatne, a small village on the west coast of Norway. His parents were very active in music, and they were always singing and playing in the house. Hans Peter started playing the piano as soon as he was tall enough to reach the keys, and made his own small melodies from a young age. He often tried to recreate the music he heard on radio, but also received classical piano training. He learned the foundational piano technique these years, but never enjoyed playing by scores. It was more fun to play freely, to play what you heard, or learn the music by ear. Hans Peter also picked up the saxophone, first through the local marching band, but later at several jazz seminars at Molde, a small city known for its jazz festivals. He soon understood that reading scores was important even in jazz music, it helped the musicians communicate. One of the first songs Hans Peter put down on paper was from this period: «Kaktus» from ’78. Later Hans Peter Neergård composed more music and wrote more scores. His compositions are often related to jazz, both rhythmically and harmonically, but can also be traced back to Nordic folk music. He composed for piano, saxophone quartet and orchestras, and many of the songs were performed by local bands and musicians.