PROGRAM 2026
Nordnorsk Youth Big Band & Mie Bergh
Nordnorsk Youth Big Band (NNUSB) returns to Tromsø with an explosive and forward-looking big band programme.
When NNUSB takes the stage at Verdensteateret during the Northern Lights Festival, audiences can expect a fresh, energetic concert showcasing some of the most promising young jazz musicians in Northern Norway.
The band represents a vibrant and swinging big band sound, rooted in tradition while looking firmly towards the future.
For this project, NNUSB has invited acclaimed jazz musician Tore Johansen as artistic director, alongside rising star Mie Bergh as soloist. Together with the band’s young performers, they present a programme that highlights new music, improvisation, and the expressive power of the big band format.
Founded in 1991 and run by the Northern Norwegian Jazz Centre, Nordnorsk Youth Big Band is the region’s most important development arena for young jazz musicians aged 16–25 from Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark. The ensemble meets two to three times a year for rehearsal periods, concerts, and projects across the region. Its aim is to support artistic growth through ensemble playing, improvisation, and musical exploration, while also building strong professional networks within the Northern Norwegian jazz community.
Over the years, NNUSB has collaborated with numerous prominent instructors and ensembles. Recent highlights include projects with musicians from Hackney Colliery Band and jazz legend Randy Brecker.
The concert at the Northern Lights Festival offers a rare opportunity to experience a unique youth ensemble in development—featuring newly arranged music, strong soloists, and a band operating at the intersection of education and professional artistic power.