Eyolf Dale

Eyolf Dale (born 5 March 1985) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer.

Career Dale has established himself as one of Norway's leading jazz pianists, with numerous record releases and extensive international touring. Both as a sideman and a solo performer, he has performed all over Europe, as well as on tours in the United States, Japan and China.

Dale is known from both his solo work and collaborations with a great number of jazz artists, including Eyolf Dale's Wolf Valley octet, Albatrosh, Daniel Herskedal, Hayden Powell Trio, and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. With the duo Albatrosh, alongside reedsman André Roligheten, he was awarded "Young Jazz Musicians of the Year 2008" in the JazzIntro competition, and the duo was also awarded "Best Band" at the European Jazz Competition in 2010 at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. He was nominated for Spellemannprisen — the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy Award — both in 2013 and 2016 for his solo albums.

In recent years, the Eyolf Dale Trio — featuring bassist Per Zanussi and drummer Audun Kleive — has become the central vehicle for his work. The trio's debut album, Being, was released in 2021, followed by The Wayfarers on 27 January 2023. The Wayfarers was recorded at Oslo Concert Hall and is noted for its blend of Norwegian folk, jazz and classical music, including the use of a Hammerspinet. The album received five-star reviews from Aftenposten and received coverage in Jazziz magazine. On The Wayfarers, Zanussi and Kleive were involved in the compositional process at an earlier stage than on previous recordings, reflecting the trio's growing collaborative dynamic.

In October 2024, Dale released The Space Between Two Notes, his seventh album on Edition Records, which reimagines compositions from Being and The Wayfarers with orchestral arrangements by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, conducted by Miho Hazama. The trio's most recent album, When Shadows Dance, was released in February 2025, recorded at Oslo Concert Hall in June 2024.

Dale has also worked in orchestral formats, composing his first piano concerto, Echoes in Oslo, performed with the Telemark Chamber Orchestra at Oslo Concert Hall and released in 2023.

In addition to his performing career, Dale serves as an associate professor in jazz at the Norwegian Academy of Music.

Awards and honors 2008: "Årets unge jazzmusikere" within Albatrosh, by Rikskonsertene and the Norwegian Jazz Federation 2008: Finalist in "Young Nordic Jazz Comets" within Albatrosh, held in Copenhagen, Denmark 2008: Skien municipal Encouragement price awarded Albatrosh 2009: "Beste band" within Albatrosh, in the European Jazz Competition during the North Sea Jazz Festival. 2009: 1st prize in the European competition Nomme Jazz for pianists 2012: JazZtipendiat granted Albatrosh during the Moldejazz 2014: Nominated for Spellemannprisen in the category of Jazz 2016: Nominated for Spellemannprisen in the category of Jazz Solo piano 2014 Tree House MNJ with André Roligheten, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra 2014 Night Owl Rune Grammofon with André Roligheten (tenor saxophone and bass clarinet) 2016 Wolf Valley Edition With André Roligheten (tenor sax, clarinet), Hayden Powell (trumpet), Kristoffer Kompen (trombone), Rob Waring (vibraphone), Adrian Løseth Waade (violin), Per Zanussi (bass, saw), Gard Nilssen (drums) 2018 Return to Mind Edition With Per Zanussi (bass), Gard Nilssen (drums), Andre Roligheten (sax, clarinet), Hayden Powell (trumpet), Kristoffer Kompen (trombone), Rob Waring (vibraphone), Adrian Løseth Waade (violin) 2019 Departure Edition With André Roligheten (tenor saxophone and clarinet) 2020 Being Edition With Per Zanussi (double bass), Audun Kleive (drums) 2021 A patch of old snow EP Edition Solo piano 2023 The Wayfarers Edition With Per Zanussi (bass, saw), Audun Kleive (drums) 2023 Echoes of Oslo – Piano Concerto Edition With Telemark Chamber Orchestra 2024 The Space Between Two Notes Edition With Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Miho Hazama (conductor), Audun Kleive (drums), Per Zanussi (bass) 2025 When Shadows Dance Edition With Audun Kleive (drums), Per Zanussi (bass)

Collaborative works 2002: Vår (Plus Records), within Per-Kristian Ekholt Powerband 12+ 2009: Gjenfortellinger (Grappa Music), with Pitsj 2009: Neo Dada (Rune Grammofon), with Jono El Grande 2009: Live at Dokkhuset (MNJ Records), with Midtnorsk Ungdomsstorband 2011: Stillness (Losen Records), with Hildegunn Øiseth 2011: The Attic (Inner Ear), within Hayden Powell Trio 2011: Short Stories of Happiness (Schmell), with Kristoffer Kompen 2013: Roots and Stems (Periskop Records), with Hayden Powell 2013: 2.0 (Hot Club Records), with Jazzbanditt 2013: Krumkakesanger (Bragvin Fonogram), with Åselill Sæthre 2014: Agdergata 1 (Kompis Records), with Kristoffer Kompen 2015: Slow Eastbound Train (Edition Records), with Daniel Herskedal 2015: Circadian Rhythm and Blues (Periskop Records), with Hayden Powell 2017: The Roc (Edition Records), with Daniel Herskedal 2017: Sanger for katten (Ponca Jazz Records), with Åselill Sæthre 2017: Sundown (Kompis Records), with Kristoffer Kompen 2018: Six Commissions (Periskop Records), with Hayden Powell 2018: Commuter Report (Losen Records), with Scheen Jazzorkester 2019: Voyage (Edition Records), with Daniel Herskedal, Helge Andreas Norbakken, Bergmund Skaslien, Maher Mahmoud 2020: The Moon Doesn't Drink (Jazzland), with Lyder Røed 2021: Harbour (Edition Records), with Daniel Herskedal 2021: Engangsdager (Grappa), with Daniela Reyes 2022: Unurban (Klokkereint), with Traktor 2022: Luna (IJV), with Ingrid Jasmin 2022: En egen ro (Lise Hvoslef), with Lise Hvoslef 2023: The Realization (ARC Recordings), with John Børge Askeland, Arve Henriksen, Helge Andreas Norbakken 2025: Movements of Air (Edition Records), with Daniel Herskedal, Helge Andreas Norbakken