SØSTRE: The Hidden Heroines of Jazz presents an evening at ALICE celebrating the history of women in Danish jazz. Join us as some of the most remarkable instrumentalists from the Danish jazz scene — Lis Wessberg, Kathrine Windfeld, Michala Østergaard-Nielsen, Ida Hvid, and Lotte Anker — take the stage during this summer’s Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

“SØSTRE – The Hidden Heroines of Jazz” is an artistic and cultural-historical project that combines a concert series during Copenhagen Jazz Festival with the development of a documentary film. The project shines a light on female musicians — pioneers, composers, instrumentalists, and vocalists — who over the past 100 years have played a crucial role in Danish jazz, yet whose stories have too often been overlooked. Through SØSTRE, these stories are brought into the spotlight, creating a stage where both historical and contemporary female jazz musicians are heard, seen, and recognized.

Line-up

Lis Wessberg – trombonist, composer, and bandleader with a warm, lyrical tone and a strong personal expression. Her music moves between jazz, Nordic soundscapes, and a cinematic universe where presence and atmosphere take center stage. As the leader of Yellow Map, she has gained international recognition and received widespread acclaim, including several five-star reviews.

Kathrine Windfeld – one of Scandinavia’s most exciting jazz composers and arrangers. Her music combines complexity and power with poetic sensitivity in explosive arrangements. With her big band and sextet, she has toured across 18 countries, and her latest release, Aldebaran (2024), won a Danish Music Award Jazz for “Live Act of the Year.”

Ida Hvid – one of Denmark’s most respected double bassists, deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. Known for her powerful swing, beautiful tone, and work both as a bandleader and highly sought-after sidemusician.

Michala Østergaard-Nielsen – award-winning Danish drummer, percussionist, and composer based in Tisvilde. She is known for her personal, almost Zen-like expression and works at the intersection of jazz, improvisation, and experimental music. She received the prestigious Swedish jazz award Jazzkannan for her innovative approach to the genre.

Cecilie Strange – Politiken awarded her five hearts, calling Cecilie Strange “truly unique” for her gentle tone and instinct for the simple, nature-inspired expression. The award-winning saxophonist has emerged as one of the strongest voices on the Danish jazz scene, creating music filled with calmness, melancholy, and Nordic poetry. Her compositions revolve around love, loss, and the depth of nature, while her intimate sound invites audiences into a meditative and dreamlike universe. In 2024, she received the Carl Prize as “Composer of the Year” in jazz, and with the album BEECH (2025), she completes her critically acclaimed series inspired by Nordic roots, motherhood, and the beauty of nature.

The project is supported by Jazz Danmark og KODA.

The concert is part of Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2026, taking place from July 3 to July 12 across more than 120 venues throughout the Danish capital. See the full program at jazz.dk.