Bjørn Vidar Solli – Guitarist, Vocalist & Composer

Bjørn Vidar Solli is a Norwegian jazz guitarist, vocalist and composer with an international career spanning more than two decades. Since 2002, he has performed in 30 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, both as a bandleader and alongside internationally acclaimed artists.

Solli spent five years living and working as a musician in New York City, performing regularly at venues including Smalls, 55 Bar, Smoke, Dizzy's, Blues Alley (DC) and The Bitter End. In recent years, he has worked extensively with the WDR Big Band, including performances at Kölner Philharmonie with Chris Potter, and has toured throughout Europe and Asia with his own groups.

He has released 12 albums as a bandleader, including recordings with John Ellis, Seamus Blake, Ingrid Jensen, Aaron Parks, Matt Clohesy and Bill Stewart. His current projects include the long-running organ trio SOLID!, the quartet Gigglemug, and his own international quartet that includes John Ellis, Phil Donkin & Jongkuk Kim.

Other projects include performances with Kurt Elling, Kevin Hays, Bugge Wesseltoft, Jon Gordon, Eric Reed, Rodney Green, Peter Bernstein, Ralph Peterson, James Morrison, Kendrick Scott, David Friedman, Bendik Hofseth, Ben Wendel, Will Vinson, Gabor Bolla, Ivan Mazuze, Randy Ingram, Jim Snidero and WDR Big Band.

Solli studied jazz at the Trondheim Conservatory of Music and has also studied privately with Lee Konitz, Jason Moran and Rodney Jones.

Selected Awards 
Winner – Jazzintro / Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Norway  Winner – Getxo International Jazz Competition, Spain  Composition Prize – Tremplin Jazz Festival, Avignon, France  Soloist Awards – Hoeilaart Jazz Contest, Belgium and Monaco