”She has given the violin a new face in jazz”
— LOUIS ARMSTRONG SCHOLARSHIP 2018
Terese Lien Evenstad, a jazz violinist from Norway/Sweden, began her musical journey within the classical school at the age of 7. At 25, she immersed herself in the world of jazz and graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (2016). Evenstad has not only contributed to several albums but has also released three albums with original contemporary jazz written by her. She is a versatile artist who excels not only in her solo projects but also collaborates with various constellations. In 2017, she founded the record label Jotun Records, bearing her own name, and distributes her music digitally through The Orchard.
This year’s album, ”Movement,” (2023) was released under the German record label Berthold Records and was marked by a tour in Germany and India, as well as a memorable release concert at Fasching in Stockholm. Terese was recently awarded a 2-year working grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and is now planning to create a fourth album inspired by her tour in India.
Her music and performances have led to several nominations and prizes in the last few years, such as the ”Louis Armstrong-scholarship” in 2018, with the motivation: ”She has given the violin a new face within jazz.” Terese has been honored to perform her music with ”Bohuslän Big Band,” one of Sweden’s most well-known big bands. Evenstad 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 the legendary guitarist Janne Schaffer.
During 2022, she had the honor of being part of ”Meet the Artist” at Örebro University School of Music in Örebro, conducting a 2-day workshop with final-year students. The collaboration culminated in a concert at the concert hall of Örebro University School of Music. Over the years, Terese has received several grants from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and the Swedish Arts Council for her projects. She has had the privilege of performing with renowned ensembles like Bohuslän Big Band, as well as esteemed jazz musicians such as Frank Vignola & Vinny Raviolo. Additionally, she has toured in countries including Germany, India, Norway, Italy, and Switzerland.
She has her roots in traditional jazz and has listened extensively to artists like Sonny Rollins, Ella Fitzgerald, Errol Garner, and Horace Silver, among others. She enjoys experimenting and developing her personal expression, pushing the boundaries of jazz. Her influences in jazz violin include Ola Kvernberg, Didier Lockwood, Fiona Monbet, Aurelien Trigo, and Eva Slongo.
”Vital and dense modern Nordic jazz of high class. A driven violinist with a deep sense of jazz”
– Sydsvenskan, Alexander Agrell (Movement, 2023).
“…a musician and composer with great musicality and passion. She moves freely between different genres and utilizes her technical skills to blend into the music she performs. Her imagination and ability to phrase and improvise make her a particularly exciting musician”
– Janne Schaffer and the jury
”Powerful and sensitive with great energy and dynamism – an inherent primal force with improvisational freedom,”
– Opulens, Bo Bjelvehammar (Movement, 2023)
”I must admit that I haven’t had a particular fondness for the violin in a jazz context. However, I must acknowledge that Terese possesses such dazzling technique that she should be considered the foremost practitioner in the Nordic region within her genre.”
– Mats Hallberg, Kulturbloggen (2023)
