Ståle Birkeland

Ståle Birkeland was born in Voss, Norway, in 1981. He started playing the drums in a local school band at the age of nine, but got seriously hooked on music from the age of sixteen when he started performing with various big bands and smaller ensembles in the Bergen area. Ståle moved to the UK in 2002 to study music at Leeds College of Music, completing his BA in jazz in 2005, and his MMus in jazz performance 2006. In Leeds, Ståle rapidly developed as an improviser and jazz drummer, and became actively involved in the creative Leeds music scene as a part of the Leeds Improvised Music Association collaborating with various musicians locally, as well as nationally and internationally. He has played with various groups and projects and performed at festivals such as Maijazz, Nattjazz, Ekstremsportveko, FUSE Leeds and Isle of Wight.