Alexander Dellerhagen
I am a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist based in Trondheim. I play soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone – in addition to bass clarinet, clarinet and flute.
I move between jazz, improvisation, metal and modern production music, and work as a performer, studio musician, producer and educator.
For me, it's always about sound, energy and direction. About finding a voice that both carries tradition and withstands friction.
Roots
I grew up in Dalarna, Sweden. My first teacher was my grandfather – a performing jazz musician with a swing and bebop background. I started on the clarinet, but the saxophone quickly took over.
The teaching was not primarily theory. It was ear, phrasing, breathing and listening. How a note should land. How it should carry the space. It is still in the body.
This was noticed early in my studies. The jury for Lennart Wikström's jazz scholarship described me as
"... a very promising tenor saxophonist with a big tone, fine phrasing skills and a lovely relaxed feeling à la Dexter Gordon."
I still play my grandfather's old Selmer saxophone. It reminds me of where I come from – and what actually matters.
Education
I completed my bachelor's degree in jazz at NTNU in Trondheim and am now in my final year of my master's degree at the same university. My studies have given me the opportunity to immerse myself in traditional jazz, free improvisation and more genre-crossing expressions.
I am committed to understanding the craft in depth, but also to pushing it further.
Agabas
I have an exciting role in the Trondheim band AGABAS – a band that combines jazz and extreme metal in what we call “death jazz.” It’s intense, physical and uncompromising.
We have released several albums, collaborated with Kvelertak, among others, and toured in Norway and internationally. On stage, it's all about energy, precision, and collective power.
International press has described us as follows:
“Their incendiary fusion of jazz and metal … makes for one of the festival's most memorable shows.”
—Dom Gourlay, Under the Radar
In AGABAS, the saxophone is not an ornament. It is part of the machinery. It cuts, presses and carries.
In my master's thesis, I investigate the role of breath in instrumental practice. Not only technical air control, but how breath affects phrasing, mental presence and interaction.
Master's degree
For me, the breath is the foundation. It controls the timbre, timing, intensity and calm. When the breath works, a lot of other things fall into place.
This work influences both my own playing and the teaching I give.
Teaching
As an educator, I am committed to seeing each individual student. Building confidence first – and then challenging. I combine academic precision with practical work. The technique should be concrete. The expression should be genuine.
Elisabeth Nygård-Pearson, senior lecturer at the Department of Music, Department of Teacher Education at NTNU, writes:
“Alexander has a unique ability to see and meet each individual student… He combines theoretical depth with practical insight to ensure optimal learning and mastery for all.”
Wenche Waagen, lecturer in music didactics at NTNU says:
“A reflective and dedicated educator with genuine presence.”
