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Lars Halle

Lars Halle was born in Trondheim, Norway in 1973 but spent his childhood in the town of Sandviken, Sweden where he began his musical education under the guidance of percussion instructor Rolf Andersson and pianist Gosta Rundquist. In 1989, Lars moved to the U.S. where he eventually settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from the University of the Arts in in 1996. Lars began composing and arranging freelance while in college, and in 2000 he formed the Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra, quickly becoming a highly regarded big band in the Tristate area. In 2001, Lars began publishing his big band compositions with Kendor Music, and continues to do so. Lars is a faculty member at the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts since 1995, and at the University of the Arts since 2006.

The Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra: Speaking of Apropos

Read "Speaking of Apropos" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 25, 2005

Speaking of stylish big bands that seem to emerge fully grown from out of nowhere, here's Speaking of Apropos, recorded about a year ago by drummer Lars Halle's eighteen-piece ensemble--not from nowhere but from that prominent breeding ground for outstanding East Coast jazz, Philadelphia, PA, where Halle, a Swedish expatriate, earns his daily bread teaching at the University of the Arts.

Even though the album, like many big-band enterprises these days, was fashioned on a shoestring and held together by ...

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Performance / Tour

Live with Original New Music Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra Celebrates Ten Years

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2010

Philadelphia - On Friday, January 22, 2010, the Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra (LHJO) celebrates its tenth anniversary of explosive and entertaining big band sound. Hosted by award-winning Chris' Jazz Cafe, one of Philadelphia's two dedicated jazz venues in center city, this one-of-a-kind performance of new and original jazz is sure to cause a stir in the music community, and considering that seating is limited, both fans and first-time listeners are encouraged to make reservations early. Swedish bandleader and internationally top-selling ...
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Performance / Tour

Valery Ponomarev & the Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra @ Chris' Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia on March 16, 2007

Source: All About Jazz
March 13, 2007

"This powerhouse group had the walls at Chris' [Jazz Cafe] shaking with their driving up tempo jazz including bop standards and some written by the leader. It was an exciting night that once again demonstrated the fantastic array of local talent in Philadelphia with so many of the musicians being well established local stars in their own right." —Donald True Van Deusen, All About Jazz (Oct. 2002)

"The playing by the band is really good, and I really like the soloists. Also I like [Lars's] writing with [his] use of counterpoint. So keep doing it—it's great!" —Kenny Wheeler (Dec. 2001)