Petter WETTRE

Petter Wettre gained his international rise in 1995, when he represented NRK at the EBU in Prague.

Just two years earlier, he had already caused a sensation at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival with his own quartet.

 
In 1996, he released his first album as a leader, "Pig Virus", nominated for the Norwegian Jazz Grammy the following year.

In parallel with his work with the quartet, he founded The Trio, a critically acclaimed ensemble with which he released four albums in the 1990s and early 2000s. Their first record, "Meet the Locals", received another Grammy nomination in 1998, as well as an outstanding 3.5/4-star rating in The Penguin Guide to Jazz.

In 2000, Petter Wettre released "In Color", featuring Dave Liebman on soprano and tenor. The album ranked 7th among the best jazz albums in the United Kingdom, according to Jazz Review.
The following year marked a major milestone: he received the Klart Svar Award at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival and won his first Norwegian Grammy for "The Only Way to Travel". He was also voted one of the 10 most influential musicians on the European jazz scene by the British magazine Jazz Review.

In 2003, he founded his own label, Household Records, and his album "Hallmark Moments" earned another Grammy nomination.

 
In 2005, he published "Live at the Lighthouse – Omnibook", a transcription book dedicated to solos by Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman, which he presented during a U.S. tour in prestigious institutions such as Berklee College of Music, New School, and Manhattan School of Music.

In the mid-2000s, Petter Wettre multiplied his international tours: Africa, performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, opening the Kongsberg Jazz Festival with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and receiving another Grammy in 2007 for "Fountain of Youth".

 
In 2008, a five-year collaboration began with French artist Manu Katché, leading him through extensive world tours, particularly in France.

In 2010, he received his sixth Grammy nomination with "The Only Way to Travel 2".

 
In 2012, he performed in Lithuania and South Korea, and arranged his own music for a big band created especially for the 75th anniversary of NOPA, a concert broadcast in ten European countries.

In 2014, Petter Wettre launched his own mobile application, gathering music, videos, photos, and social networks. In December, he opened the Nobel Peace Prize Concert alongside Queen Latifah.

 
In 2016, he arranged Charles Mingus’ music for a sextet at the Oslo Jazz Festival, a project that later toured Scandinavia and London.

He also joined the international project The North, touring China, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.

In 2018, he returned to South Africa for a tribute to Michael Brecker, before continuing tours in Norway, Denmark, Scotland, Iceland, and the United States.

In March 2020, Petter Wettre settled in Paris, where he quickly established himself on the French and international jazz scene.