Tenor, soprano and alto saxophonist, bandleader and composer, Pernille Bévort is a graduate of the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark. After completing her degree, she has become increasingly in-demand as a member of various jazz ensembles in Denmark and Sweden.

Apart from working with small ensembles, Bévort has performed with several professional Big Bands in Denmark during the last decades: The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band, Kroner’s New Music Orchestra, The Danish Radio Big Band and the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra (Klüver’s Big Band) among others.

As a frequent substitute, or regular member of, different professional big bands, she has performed with many international artists. Among these are: Randy Brecker, Tony Coe, Putte Wickman, Tim Hagans, John Scofield, Charlie Watts and Richard Bona.

Since 2015 Pernille has been a regular member of the Swedish Monday Night Big Band in Malmö and from 2016 she has been playing several projects with another Swedish Big Band: the Bohuslän Big Band in Göteborg. (One of the last tours with BBB was in oct. 2017 with Maria Schneider).

She is also part of the new Danish 13-piece ensemble Maluba Orchestra with Marilyn Mazur, Fredrik Lundin and Kasper Bai as the 3 co-leaders and composers. The debut album with this group ‘Maluba Orchestra’ won a DMA jazz in 2020 as album of the year.

Since 1995 she has been leader of several diverse ensembles. At present these include her trio, Bévort 3, and the septet Radio Bévort. Pernille Bévort has released 14 albums as band leader (Feb. 2022).

Apart from her own groups, Pernille has composed for several other ensembles such as . Among these are The Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Moving Circles and a variety of ToneArt workshop ensembles (ToneArt is a composer association). 

Right now, she is composing a new tune and arrangement for the Swedish Norrbotten Big Band (a commissioned work).

Pernille Bévort has been awarded the prestigious Ben Webster Prize and the JASA prize (jazz reviewers) in acknowledgement of her work. Furthermore, Pernille has received several composer grants from the Danish Arts Foundation within the last decades.

From 2011 until 2013 she was part of the committee for composer grants in the Danish Arts Foundation (the jury concerning rhythmic composers). April 11th 2021 Pernille Bévort received an honorary award from the Danish Conductors Association (an association of conductors and band leaders).

The album BLIK with Radio Bévort (May 2020) was among the top 10 Danish jazz albums of the year (2020) according to the jury from the Danish jazz magazine Jazzspecial. Oct. 2020 Pernille was also nominated for a Danish Music Awards Jazz as composer of the year with this album. 

Pernille’s trio album ‘On Fire’ with her trio Bévort 3 was nominated for a Danish Music Awards Jazz in the category ‘Album of the Year’ (Oct. 2021).

Her Latest album ‘Bévort 3 Live 2020-2021’ was released Feb. 18th 2022.

The trio is now heading towards ‘Jazz A-Head’ in Bremen, Germany, where they are going to perform a showcase on the Danish Club Night Scene (30. April 2022).

The link to her full biography, along with more Resources for this episode, is on our website.

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We talked about:

• People that inspired her the most
• Conceiving your saxophone sound
• How to be in the moment when performing
• Keeping technique on point
• How she manages practice time
• Her role in a Septet vs Trio
• Finding your own voice 
• and more!

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