That was when I decided that I would also speak to one of the female instrumentalists performing with the Maria Schneider–led Oslo Jazz Ensemble on March 9, 2025, and ask her about the challenges she faces - if she faces any at all. Schneider is a seven‑time Grammy Award–winning American jazz musician, pianist, bandleader, conductor, and composer. There are several female instrumentalists working in the jazz world, and Schneider is a committed advocate for musicians’ rights and copyright protection.

Tina Lægreid Olsen is a member of the Oslo Jazz Ensemble - she plays baritone saxophone and bass clarinet - and the ensemble is conducted by Maria Schneider. They performed at Müpa last March. I asked her what it is like to work as a female jazz musician today, and what she thinks about the fact that there are still so few women in the jazz profession. I was lucky: she was open to the conversation, and we even managed to fit in a bit of sightseeing together before the evening concert.

It turned into a very interesting interview, which is available on Jazz.hu in both English and Hungarian.

• Irk Réka / Jazz.hu: What were the first instruments you started playing?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I started in a marching band in Norway called KORPS when I was 8 years old, and I also went to music school. I started with the saxophone because in the marching band we get to try different instruments and then make a list of our priorities. I put the saxophone at the top, and that’s what I got. That’s how it all began.
  I started playing the baritone saxophone many years later, in 2016, I think. When I was doing my bachelor’s degree, I had a subject where I learned baritone saxophone with a classical teacher. It was the best thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know why I wanted to do it, it just felt like… why not learn more instruments from the saxophone family? I never looked back after that.
  As for the bass clarinet, I had played it occasionally in some projects, but in 2019 I played it for the first time with Maria Schneider, and that was also my first project as a permanent member of the Oslo Jazz Ensemble. I had substituted before, but this was the first time I was officially part of the ensemble. I remember Anders, the producer, called me about six months earlier and asked if I could take the position. I said, "Yeah, sure, of course I can.” So I had to really train, learn the basic techniques, and again - I never looked back. I’m so glad these opportunities came and that I grabbed them.
• IR / Jazz.hu: Do you play these instruments in other bands as well? Do you have your own band?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I have different projects. It’s been a while since I had my own band, simply because other things have happened and I’ve been busy with other work. But in most of my projects I play deeper woodwinds. That’s how people see me.

• IR / Jazz.hu: And you are a teacher as well?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: Right now I’m conducting a marching band for adults. I have taught earlier in my career, but I’m not doing it at the moment.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Is the baritone saxophone more difficult to play?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: The baritone? Yes, it’s a big instrument and it requires more air. But otherwise it’s the same - every saxophone works the same way, you just press lower. That’s the joke we have. It’s the easiest gentleman to play.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Is it more difficult to play jazz than classical music? Do you play classical music as well?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I’ve tried it and I can do it, but not at a high level, not now, because I haven’t done it enough.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Why do you play jazz?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: In high school I started playing with some of my classmates, and it was such a freeing experience. We just played whatever we wanted. We improvised, we played some standards, but mostly we just created things together. The social aspect of jazz really drew me in. You stand there and respond to what others are playing in the moment, instead of trying to sound exactly like someone else.
  When I played classical music, I often felt like: where do I fit into this? I didn’t want to sound like the standard classical sound, but that wasn’t really accepted in that genre, at least not at that time. Jazz felt freeing. I grew up with music - my three older brothers play, and my parents also play - so I was surrounded by many styles. I don’t remember my first jazz experience exactly; it was probably something my parents played on a CD or record.

• IR / Jazz.hu: How common is it for women to play in large ensembles or big bands in Norway?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I haven’t consciously thought about it, but Shannon Mowday (South African-born performer, composer, director, and arranger living in Norway – ed.) is a very strong, long-established player, and she was there before me. I think subconsciously, having her and other female saxophonists around made me feel like of course I can do this. Role models matter.
  When Ingrid Utne (our bass trombone player) and I stand on stage with all the male instrumentalists, no one questions why we’re there. We play just as well as anyone else. That’s important for young girls in the audience to see. But for that to happen, you need awareness and you need to invite women into jazz. A friend of mine said it takes a whole generation to flip this. And you should never base quality on gender, that’s just wrong.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Which musicians have had the greatest influence on you?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: That’s the hardest question. I listen a lot to a Swedish artist called Tingsek. He’s more of a singer, but I always go back to his music. I also listen a lot to a Danish band called Girls in Airports - which is funny, because they’re all men - but they’re great. I don’t really have one favorite artist. And honestly, I haven’t listened to as much music lately. I have a child now, and every day is a puzzle. My husband and I talk about how we want to listen to more music again. It’s just a matter of priorities.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Why did you choose these two difficult instruments?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I think it just happened naturally. In high school we had a subject where we had to talk about something we cared about, and I remember being very inspired by certain musicians and their stories. Growing up in the marching band environment, where you have saxophones, trombones, trumpets, French horns, baritones, tubas, drums, it’s a big part of our culture. It was a place where I could be myself and find my true friends. We just got together and did what we loved most: playing music.

• IR / Jazz.hu: How difficult is it to make a living solely from music?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: That’s why I took another degree as well. Music will always be the most important thing for me, but I wanted something else too. People used to tell me it’s a lifestyle, and it is.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Are female instrumental jazz musicians generally accepted in your country?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I think in Norway we’ve been working on this for a while, raising awareness, normalizing female instrumentalists. We’re getting more and more women in the professional jazz scene, which is great, but we still need to talk about the issue. I don’t understand why gender should matter. If you have a baby, both parents are equal. In my home we share everything. The idea that women can’t play evening concerts makes no sense, it’s the same for men. Many of the guys in my band also don’t want to work too many nights because they want to be with their families. That’s just how the profession is. It’s hard, but we love it.

• IR / Jazz.hu: Was it difficult to get into the big band?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: In 2017 I substituted for Shannon, and I think I did one concert. Then in 2019 they called me for Maria’s project. At that time I was doing my bachelor’s degree. I had played a lot with different people, and networking is important. People recommended me, and that’s how it happened.

• Irk Réka / Jazz.hu: A friend of mine once asked whether the girlfriends of a female baritone saxophonist might find it strange that she plays such a big instrument. What do your non-musician friends think of your choice?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: I find that question peculiar. My non-musician friends think the instrument itself is amazing, big, shiny, with a powerful sound. Their reaction has nothing to do with me playing it. They just find the instrument fascinating. I’ve never received negative comments. They don’t find it strange at all. 

• IR / Jazz.hu: Besides being a positive example yourself, what else could be done to convince young people that women can be successful in this field?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: You need women in the jazz industry. It’s important to see people like you doing what you want to do. That helps you believe you can do it. I didn’t grow up with the idea that girls couldn’t play certain instruments, no one ever said that to me. I think that’s why I never questioned it.

• Irk Réka / Jazz.hu: One last question. What is it like working with multiple Grammy Award-winning Maria Schneider?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: She’s all about making her music sound great. She has so much knowledge, and it shines through in every comment she makes. It can be nerve‑wracking because nothing gets past her, you really have to have your shit together. But she’s also calm, kind, and has a wonderful personality. The way she talks about her music and about us, the musicians, is very inspiring.
• Irk Réka / Jazz.hu: Can you express your own ideas, or does everything go exactly as she wants it?
• Tina Lægreid Olsen: She has the final word, of course, but we all strive to make the music sound as good as possible. We also have solo spaces where we can shine. Maria draws on our individual strengths. Working with her has given me a lot of confidence. I learn so much from her, and I recommend anyone who gets the chance to work with her to take it.

 Magnus Murphy Joelson (trombone), Tina Lægreid Olsen, Richard Köster (trumpet)

Fotó: Nagy Attila / Müpa, Irk Réka