Meet the new host of Jazz at Skansen: Tilde Schweitzer

When Jazz at Skansen needed a new host, the choice felt easy. Trombonist Tilde Schweitzer has been described as exceptionally gifted and one of the brightest young voices in Swedish jazz. It was Nils Landgren himself who called to ask his friend if she would take over as host. 

– Nisse is the kindest person in the world – he just asks things straight out. So he called and said, “Hi, I was wondering if you’d like to take over…”. At first I thought: you can’t be serious? Then I felt incredibly honoured and happy. And I thought: wow, those are big shoes to fill. But now I think that’s part of the charm, no successor will ever be like Nisse, says Tilde Schweitzer. 

From idol to mentor

Despite their differences, they also have much in common. Both are outstanding trombonists, and their relationship goes back a long way – to when Tilde, as a young student, emailed her idol. 

– When I was studying at the Royal College of Music, we got to choose a teacher for one year. I thought: should I ask Nisse Landgren – do I dare? So I went to his website and found his email. When I started typing it in, I realised I had already emailed him as a child: “Hi Nisse, I see you’re playing in Falun next week. If you want, we could jam.” 

– I told him that when we first met, that I had written to him when I was little. And now here we are! 

Their relationship quickly grew – and became crucial to her development. 

– When I graduated, I started a big band as my final project. I asked Nisse if he wanted to join for one piece, and he said of course. Then the studio cancelled two weeks before the recording and I was devastated. He called me and said he had booked Atlantis for two days – the biggest studio in Stockholm. He saved my entire recording. Nisse has truly been my mentor, in everything. He has lifted me up and given me opportunities. 

“Many young people love jazz – without knowing it”

Fading in one way, yet still thriving, that’s how Tilde describes the state of jazz today. A contradiction that stems from the fact that many young people don’t realise that what they’re listening to and enjoying is actually jazz. 

– I’ve noticed that when I play with my big band. We play really old jazz that used to be completely out, no one our age listens to it except jazz musicians. But young people who come to my gigs, who aren’t musicians, come up and say: “Damn, I didn’t know what this was, but I’ve loved it all along.” I think many young people listen to and love jazz – they just don’t know it’s jazz. It’s actually very accessible when you hear it. Sitting at Skansen listening to jazz is magical, many young people just don’t know yet that it’s something they should do. 

This summer’s jazz

Looking ahead to the summer, Tilde Schweitzer wants to both preserve tradition and open the door to something new – for Jazz at Skansen to feel exciting and reassuring at the same time. 

– I think I can bring a broader musical perspective. I come from swing, from very traditional jazz, that’s my foundation. But I’ve also played so many other genres: pop, country, rock… everything, really. I hope I can show that, both in the music and in my role as host, how music can move across boundaries. 

A key part of her vision is creating new encounters on stage. 

– I’d like to take collaborations a step further. My main work today is playing with artists like Benjamin Ingrosso, Darin and Magnus Uggla. Being in a completely different world from jazz, and seeing how many of today’s popular artists come from jazz, or from improvisational music, it’s incredible. And that’s something we can really build on. Mixing dedicated jazz musicians with other artists and creating real crossover moments. I think that’s going to be exciting, she says, and continues: 

– Miles Davis would have turned 100 this year, and we’re going to dedicate one evening this summer to him. He was all about crossover – he played hip hop, funk, soul. That’s something I’d love to explore. And I also want to keep carrying the torch for the trombone, to make sure there’s still a trombone on stage.