This thesis, titled ”Exploration in Art Music”, was conceived based on my curiosity to explore and compose music which combines the styles of jazz and Western classical music. Inspired by the Third Stream movement led by Gunther Schuller, which evolved in parallel with the 50’s avant-garde jazz scene, I have composed three musical pieces for a twelve-piece orchestra consisting of woodwinds, strings, and a jazz quartet.

I’ve examined this work from the following two perspectives:

As a composer – exploring ways to fuse the genres, observing contrasting idioms, and finding ways of opening up for improvisation when the music is otherwise through-composed.

As a musician and bandleader – noticing how musicians from each of the two musical cultures approach and interpret written and improvised music.

Throughout the project I have gotten a deeper insight into the culture of Western classical music, and this thesis observes and analyzes some of the differences and similarities, musically and performance-wise, between that and the jazz culture which I am originating from.