Emil Brandqvist Trio

The Emil Brandqvist Trio’s concert at the Altes Pfandhaus kicks off an evening where the ensemble’s Scandinavian musical language can be experienced in a particularly resonant setting. Since their 2013 debut, “Breathe Out,” the trio—consisting of Emil Brandqvist on drums, Tuomas A. Turunen on piano, and Max Thornberg on bass—has established itself in the European jazz scene through poetic melodies, precise arrangements, and a distinctive aesthetic. The fusion of jazz, classical music, and Nordic folklore forms the core of their repertoire, which is characterized by melodic clarity and a subtle, chamber-music-inspired interplay. With “Entering the Woods,” the group reached the top of the German jazz charts in 2020, and in 2024, they received a special award for over 50 million streams—a milestone rarely achieved in instrumental jazz. Their latest album, “Poems for Travellers,” released in 2025, not only marks a deliberate return to the pure trio format—allowing the compositional styles of all three musicians to shine through clearly—but also reached number one on the German Jazz Charts. Within the acoustic architecture of the Altes Pfandhaus, these pieces unfold their subtle dynamics and create a focused atmosphere that allows listeners immediate access to the narrative arcs.