Bio
Haftor Medbøe is a Norwegian-born guitarist, composer and academic living in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Haftor has released 15 albums with collaborating international artists including Jacob Karlzon (SWE), Espen Eriksen (NO) and Gunnar Halle (NO), Fabio Giachino (IT), Pete Furniss (UK) Tom Bancroft (UK)), Anneke Kampman (UK), Eva Malling (DK), Signy Jacobsdottir (IS), Konrad Wiszniewski (UK), Chris Greive (AUS).
As a composer, Haftor has scored music for numerous film and television productions including Building a Nation (Wark Clements for BBC) and the multi award-winning Tartan Short, Cry For Bobo (David Cairns). Other composition credits include the 2014 son et lumiere production, A Night at The Royal Botanical Gardens (Edinburgh), collaborative installation pieces with artists Tove Hirth, Niina Turtola, Alan Kilpatrick, Michele Marcoux, productions by choreographer/film-maker Katrina MacPherson and commissioned responses to a number of major exhibitions for the National Galleries of Scotland.
Haftor is Professor Emeritus of Jazz & Improvised Music, Edinburgh Napier University, where he gained his doctoral degree in 2013. He is an internationally published researcher in the field of new jazz studies and has presented conference papers throughout Europe. Haftor is founding Chair of the Scottish Jazz Archive, Trustee for Jazz Scotland and Trustee for An Tobar and Mull Theatre. He is also co-Editor in Chief for Jazz Research Journal, Equinox Publishing.
Haftor runs his own record label, Copperfly Records and is partner in its consultancy spin-off, Copperfly Collective.
Gigs
August 22, 2026 | 12:00 pm
Haftor Medbøe / Runa Eid Skjerven / Gudbrand Aurdal
Munchs V. 6, 3512 Hønefoss, Norway
Tickets: Free
August 29, 2026 | 2:30 pm
Haftor Medbøe + Gunnar Halle
The Green Room, 19-25 William St, Edinburgh EH3 7NG
Tickets: Free
September 1, 2026 | 8:00 pm
Haftor Medbøe / Gunnar Halle / Signy Jakobsdottir
An Tobar, Argyll Terrace, Tobermory, Isle of Mull PA75 6PB
Tickets: Pay what you decide
September 2, 2026 | 8:00 pm
Haftor Medbøe / Gunnar Halle / Signy Jakobsdottir
Glasgow Jazz Club, Blackfriars, 36 Bell Street Glasgow G1 1LG
Tickets: £20.21 (incl. booking fee)
September 4, 2026 | 8:00 pm
Haftor Medbøe / Gunnar Halle / Signy Jakobsdottir
Secret Edinburgh venue - contact through website for details
Tickets: £15/12
September 26, 2026 | 2:30 pm
Haftor Medbøe + Kenny Ellis
The Green Room, 19-25 William St, Edinburgh EH3 7NG
Tickets: Free
October 4, 2026 | 3:30 pm
Haftor Medbøe + Dave Series
The Salisbury Arms, 58 Dalkeith Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5AD
Tickets: Free
November 8, 2026 | 4:00 pm
Haftor Medbøe + Special Guest
Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8PD
Tickets: Free
Recordings
MEDBØE/MCKENZIE – REUNITED
February 20, 2024 | Copperfly Records
A long overdue reunion of Haftor Medbøe on electric guitar and effects and Sue McKenzie on soprano and alto saxophones. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Graham Coe.
SO LONG SOLANGE
October 20, 2023 | Copperfly
Recorded live at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in 2023, this single features a trio with Italian piano maestro, Fabio Giachino and saxophone whiz, Konrad Wiszniewski,
MEDBØE/WISZNIEWSKI – POIESIS
February 2, 2023 | Subcontinental Records
A freely improvised suite featuring Haftor Medbøe on electric guitar and effects alongside Konrad Wiszniewski on soprano and tenor saxophone. Engineered by Garry Boyle at Slateroom, mixed and mastered by Graham Coe.
HAFTOR MEDBØE [Scandinavian] GROUP, Live in Edinburgh
November 2, 2019 | Subcontinental Records
Featuring Gunnar Halle (trumpet), Espen Eriksen (piano), Eva Malling (bass) and Benita Haastrup (drums). Recorded live at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2013. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Michal Jankowski.
News
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New Recordings for 2019
The duo album with Jacob Karlzon is now on limited edition release on 10″ vinyl from Copperfly and is attracting some kind and lovely press acknowledgements (visit the press page on this site to read more). You can catch the project live at Glasgow and Edinburgh jazz festivals on 19 June and 21 July respectively. In early…
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Haftor Medbøe / Jacob Karlzon – Album available for pre-order
The new album is released on 05 April 2019. To pre-order a copy of the hand-numbered, limited edition (250) 10″ 45RPM vinyl please visit the Copperfly online store
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Haftor Medbøe / Jacob Karlzon – album coming soon
Very excited about the forthcoming release on Copperfly. The album will be available on 10″ vinyl only (with bundled digital download) and is available from 05/04/19 at www.copperfly.co.uk A sneak preview is available at: https://soundcloud.com/user-466149552/haftor-medboe-jacob-karlzon
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The Year Ahead
2019 promises to be busy with several new album releases on the horizon: Haftor Medbøe / Jacob Karlzon – Vinyl EP release in February The Will of the People (with Pete Furniss & Tom Bancroft) – album release in June Jazz225 (a collection of original jazz tunes for the under fives) – album release in…
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New Project With Jacob Karlzon
Overjoyed to be launching a new collaboration with the fantastic Swedish pianist Jacob Karlzon. We premiere a set of new material at this year’s Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival on 20th July, after which we’re off to record at Castlesound Studios. Stay tuned for updates.
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Medbøe Eriksen Halle – live dates and recording
We’re busy gearing up to making a follow-up album to The Space Between. Writing is underway and recording is happening in August. In the meantime, come say hello and maybe get a sneak preview of new tunes at one of our 2017 live shows: 20/04 – 21:00: Jazz ao Centro Clube, Coimbra, Portugal 21/04 – 18:30: Guilherme…
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Solo Performance – St Giles Cathedral
I’m playing a solo improvisation for Old Town New Music in the cavernous reverb of St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh on Friday 10th February. Showtime is 20:00 and entry is free (as is the improvisation).
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Medbøe Eriksen Halle – Live Dates
October 2016 we’re playing two gigs for Haugesund Kulturnatt in Norway (21st and 22nd) In April 2017 we’ll be in Portugal at Jazz ao Centro Clube, Coimbra (20th) in Portugal and at Hot Club Portugal (22nd), Lisbon More dates announced soon.
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Leith Jazz Festival 2016 with Jessie Bates
Will be playing two duo gigs with the celebrated songstress Jessie Bates for the Leith Jazz Festival in June: Friday 2nd June @ 14:00 – The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Friday 2nd June @ 19:00 – The Compass Bar
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