TERESE LIEN EVENSTAD is one of Sweden’s few jazz violinists and is the first in history to graduate from Bachelor’s program in Jazz-Performance at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Today she has released two albums and is the bandleader for three groups, composes music and teaches jazz and improvisation for string musicians.
Terese originally comes from Elverum in Norway, but as a child, she moved to Ulricehamn in Västra Götaland, Sweden. She started playing the violin at seven years of age and played classical music until high school when she discovered jazz music. She decided to move to Arvika (a small city in Sweden), to study jazz at the school of Ingesund. She graduated from the Bachelor’s program in jazz at Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 2016 and has since then been performing regularly in and outside Sweden at jazz clubs and festivals.
“She has given the violin a new face in jazz”
— LOUIS ARMSTRONG SCHOLARSHIP 2018
As a jazz violinist, she has her roots in traditional jazz but moves freely between genres and likes to experiment. In the fall of 2017, she released her debut album “Woodland” with compositions written by her, performed by Terese Lien Evenstad Quartet. Terese’s compositions have been described as “atmospheric modern jazz, varied lyric and pulsating, with melodies capable of painting images in the head of the listener.” (Sydsvenskan, Alexander Agrell).
Her music and performances have led to a nomination in the prestigious jazz prize of Jazzkatten in the category “Newcomer of the year 2018” which is awarded by the Swedish national radio P2. She was also awarded the “Louis Armstrong-scholarship” in 2018. Terese has been honored to perform her music with “Bohuslän Big Band”, one of the most two well known big bands in Sweden. She was invited to their project called “Up and coming artists 2019”, where they present young musicians who have made a name for themselves in the Swedish jazz society. In 2019 she was nominated for the concert series “Young Swedish Soloist 2019” produced by Scenkonst Sörmland and awarded the “J: son Scholarship” by Janne Schaffer and the Jury.
Received Scholarships:
– “Verksamhetsstöd”, the Swedish Art Council 2021
– STIM Scholarship 2020
– J: son Scholarship 2019
– “Fonogramstöd” (Scholarship) from the Swedish Art Council 2019
– Louis Armstrong Scholarship 2018
– Scholarship from the Swedish Art Council 2018
– Fredrika Bremer förbundets stiftelse 2016
– “Fonogramstöd” (Scholarship) from Counsellor for Cultural Affairs 2016
– Scholarship from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm 2015