No. 1

Concept and artistic idea: To illustrate the tension between the improvisation’s impermanence and a recording’s permanence in the form of an album (recorded in studio and live from Jazzhouse, Cph) where every sound was produced acoustically or with electronic manipulation on the alto sax. Laura Toxvaerd (composer, alto sax), Frederik Thaae (producer). International release and distribution of an album (CD/digital) and on the Wire Tapper compilation CD. Carried out 2004-2007 in the auspices of the indie record label ILK Music and The Wire music magazine.

Graphic notations

Concept and artistic idea: To maintain the tonal/harmonic/rhythmic integrity of improvising musicians while infusing ideas of texture, dynamic and form by the means of visuality. Compositions/graphic scores by Laura Toxvaerd. Published and distributed internationally e.g. in the American anthology Notations21 including the editor Theresa Sauer’s presenting of a work at her lecture at Yale University and exhibitions at Hutchins Gallery, NYC, Seton Art Gallery, University of New Haven and Gund Gallery, Kenyon College as well as performances by Dansk Saxofon Kvartet, Ensemble Super Musique, Montréal, Canada, and Sam Houston Percussion Group, Texas. Carried out 2004-2017 in the auspices of publisher Edition S.

D D

Concept and artistic idea: Post modern punk jazz trio fueled by atonally re-composed Charlie Parker-pieces meeting late 1950’s Ornette Coleman. Laura Toxvaerd (composer of the majority of the pieces, alto sax), Frederik Thaae (guitar, piano, percussion), Mikkel Gemzøe (drums, percussion). International release and distribution of an album (CD/digital) and a compilation CD by the Danish Arts Foundation Music Committee as well as concert performances e.g. at the Danish Agency for Culture. Carried out 2009-2010 in the auspices of the indie record label ILK Music and the Danish Arts Foundation.

Phone Book

Concept and artistic idea: Embedding the unforeseen and spontaneous improvisations of an alto sax/piano duo in planned compositional structures displayed visually with phone book paper cuts as a metaphor for the musicians’ contact. Laura Toxvaerd (composer, researcher, alto sax), Jacob Anderskov (piano). International release and distribution of an album (CD/digital) and concert performances e.g. at Kongsberg Jazzfestival in Norway as well as exhibitions of scores at Danish libraries. Peer reviewed paper in Nordic Research in Music Education Yearbook Vol. 15 (ranked as one of the journals at the highest scientific levels in Norway) on the basis of a master thesis concerning the musical recording situation. Carried out 2010-2014 in the auspices of the indie record label ILK Music and Aarhus University.

Pladeshop

Concept and artistic idea: A collaboration with musicians of different aesthetics in order to create ambiguity in the artistic expression. Compositions and lyrics by Laura Toxvaerd combined with improvisations by the trio: Laura Toxvaerd (alto sax, clarinet, vocal), Simon Toldam (piano, keys), Marilyn Mazur (percussion, drums). International release and distribution of an album (vinyl/digital) and concert performance. Carried out 2014-2016 in the auspices of the indie record label ILK Music.

Compositions - 18 Graphic Scores

Concept and artistic idea: Compositions to be perceived both as music and as visual art, expressing the musical works’ genesis visually through graphic scores and texts where the work process is described. Graphic scores and texts by Laura Toxvaerd. International publication of an art book and performance at BogForum. Carried out 2015-2016 in the auspices of Forlaget Spring.

Composition of graphic and sonic works through the improvisers’ co-creation

Artistic Research project led by Laura Toxvaerd (composer, alto sax, clarinet, vocal), presented at peer reviewed artistic research conferences at Royal Irish Academy of Music and Norwegian Academy of Music. Toxvaerd was co-arranger and member of the debate panel of an artistic research festival at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Research article submitted in a Danish artistic research anthology (ed. PhD. Anne Gry Haugland). The artistic results are the international release and distribution of the graphic scores in an art book as well as two vinyl/digital live-albums recorded at Jazzhouse, Cph, with Carsten Dahl, Raymond Strid, Jonas Westergaard and the trio Dødens Garderobe. Carried out 2015-2016 in the auspices of the Danish Ministry of Culture’s Committee for Artistic Research and Rhythmic Music Conservatory.