Nikolaj Hess Trio
Nikolaj Hess Trio is a Sunday jazz concert at The Phillips Collection featuring Danish pianist and composer Nikolaj Hess with his trio. The program explores music inspired by the paintings of Mark Rothko and complements the museum exhibition *Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea*. Hess’s music brings together Nordic jazz, American post-bop, global rhythmic traditions, classical influences, Scandinavian folk, and West African music, moving between composed material and improvisation.
The performance reflects The Phillips Collection’s 2026–27 theme of relationships and creative exchange, drawing particularly on Rothko’s work and Hess’s long-running artistic investigation into the relationship between visual art and music. The concert is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, DC, and sponsored by the Galena-Yorktown Foundation.
When: Sunday, November 1, 2026
Showtimes: 4–6 PM
Venue: The Phillips Collection
Program: Music inspired by Mark Rothko and selected works in The Phillips Collection, presented in connection with *Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea*
Artist: Nikolaj Hess Trio, led by internationally recognized Danish pianist and composer Nikolaj Hess
About Nikolaj Hess: Hess is an award-winning pianist, composer, arranger, producer, music director, artistic director, cultural ambassador, and associate professor at RMC. His style spans Nordic jazz, post-bop, new-classical music, global jazz, Scandinavian folk, and West African influences. He has collaborated internationally, including performances with Fela Kuti and Femi Kuti at The Shrine in Lagos, and has presented solo concert series at MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum, The Getty Museum, and The Smithsonian.
Recordings and compositions: Hess’s work includes the album *Trio*, recorded with Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen; the *Hess Is More* releases *Piano Chronicles, Vol. 1* and *Vol. 2*; the widely streamed album *Portrait in Jazz*; and the research-based project *Transformative Reflections*, including *Transformative Reflections: Red Studio*. He has composed film scores for Lars von Trier’s *Melancholia* and Lucy Walker’s Emmy-winning Netflix film *Mountain Queen*. His other projects include the genre-blending *Spacelab & Strings* and a new-classical concerto for solo violin, strings, bass, and drums.
Honors: Hess has received Berlingske Tidende’s Young Talents Gold Medal, recognition as the RAI competition’s best European jazz pianist under 25, two Danish Music Awards, Politiken’s Album of the Year award, and the composers’ union Autor’s honorary prize. His additional nominations include Danish Music Awards Album of the Year, DMA Jazz Musician of the Year, Composer of the Year at the Carl Prisen, and Best Music in Film at the London International Filmmakers Festival.
Tickets: Price not available
Rush tickets: A limited number of rush tickets are offered beginning at 4 PM on the Friday before the concert. Requests may be made in person, online, or by phone, subject to availability.
Standby tickets: Limited standby tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. In-person requests begin at 3 PM on the day of the concert in the admissions lobby.
Ticket note: The event is listed as an in-person performance.