Stefan Östersjö, born in 1967, is one of the most prominent soloists within new music in Sweden. Since his debut CD (Swedish Grammy in 1997) he has recorded extensively and toured Europe, the US and Asia. He writes articles on contemporary music and is frequently invited to give lectures and master classes at universities, festivals and academic conferences. His special fields of interest are the interaction with electronics, and experimental work with different kinds of stringed instruments other than the classical guitar. His great interest in chamber music has resulted in the founding of flute, viola and guitar-trio HOT 3 and collaboration with most chamber ensembles and important soloists in Scandinavia such as Jonny Axelsson, Geir Draugsvoll, KammarensembleN, Ensemble Gageego and Ensemble Ars Nova. He is continuously working with composers both in Sweden and abroad on the task of extending the repertory of solo works and chamber music with guitar. As a soloist he has cooperated with conductors such as Lothar Zagrosek, Pierre André Valade, Mario Venzago, Franck Ollu and Tuomas Ollila. He has recorded extensively for the Swedish National Radio and
also for Swedish TV as well as in many other countries.Stefan Östersjö studied with Gunnar Spjuth and Prof Per-Olof Johnsson at the Malmö Academy of Music and also with Peder Riis and Magnus Andersson in Stockholm and Darmstadt. He is at present engaged in artistic research on the performance of new music at the Malmö Academy of Music.
CD's
In 1995 he made his CD debut as soloist on Ensemble Ars Nova's second CD (nominated to a Swedish "Grammy -96" for best classical album).
His first soloCD, with works by E Carter, J Dillon, F Donatoni and T Murail, recieved a Swedish "Grammy Award" in the category of "Best Classical Album" in 1998.
His second soloCD, with works by Swedish composers, was released in spring 2001.
In summer -99 he recorded Kent Olofsson's "Il Liuto d'Orfeo", a recording which is released by GMEB in Bourges and by dB Productions (Sweden).
He has recorded the lute works of JS Bach on the 11-stringed alto guitar, released on dB Productions (Sweden) in 2003.
In 2003 “Trio con Forzaâ€, a constellation of Swedish works for flute, viola and guitar, with HOT 3 was released on Phono Suecia.
His fourth solo CD on dB Productions, “Play Time†with works for guitar and electronics was released in 2004. In 2005 “Rhizomeâ€, a portrait CD with works for guitar and chamber ensemble by Swedish composer Christer Lindwall was released on Phono Suecia (Sweden). In autumn 2007, his recording of Kent Olofsson’s Guitar Concerto “Corde†with the Gothenburg Symphony and Mario Venzago was released on Phono Suecia in January 2008. He has also recorded the complete guitar works by Danish composer Per NørgÃ¥rd, to be released on Caprice in 2008.
Here's a video with Östersjö playing the 11-stringed alto guitar in a piece by André Chini. Videography by Josef Doukkali.
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