Terese Lien Evenstad Quintet (TLEQ)
Terese Lien Evenstad Quintet (TLEQ) crafts a bold and immersive take on modern Nordic jazz. Groove-based rhythms and folk-inspired melodies meet raw intensity, cinematic textures, and moments of hushed lyricism. With tours across India, Germany, Sweden and Norway, and a Jazz of the Year nomination at the Swedish Manifest Gala 2024, TLEQ has established itself as one of the most distinctive voices on today’s Nordic jazz scene.
On Phoenix, released March 26, 2026 on Hoob Records, the band enters a new artistic chapter. Often described by audiences as both poetic and radical, TLEQ’s modern jazz invites the listener into a soundscape that is emotionally nuanced and boldly expressive. The music shifts seamlessly between extremes — from explosive, high-energy passages to whispering, delicate tones — always carried by a strong sense of presence and playful interplay.
Critics have praised the band’s distinct group sound and interplay. Lira Musikmagasin highlights the music as “small details and large performance,” while Opulens Musikmagasin describes it as “a primal force with improvisational freedom.” Sydsvenskan emphasizes the band’s “vital, tightly knit modern Nordic jazz of high quality, with a distinct and attractive group sound.”
At the core of TLEQ’s identity is a rare and expressive melodic frontline of violin and clarinet, shaping a sound described by DIG Jazz as “suggestive and Nordic, yet filled with a warm sense of care.” Strong melodic ideas, improvisation, and dynamic interaction are woven together into a personal musical language — grounded in tradition, yet driven by artistic freedom.
All members of the quintet contribute as composers, resulting in a multifaceted body of music where each individual voice is clearly present, while the whole is unified by a shared artistic vision. The band is led by violinist and composer Terese Lien Evenstad, described as “a virtuoso who makes everyone around her flourish … she should be regarded as the leading performer in the Nordic region within her genre” (Kulturbloggen).
TERESE LIEN EVENSTAD was born in Norway and is the first jazz violinist in history to graduate from the Bachelor’s Program in Jazz-Performance at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. 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 with the motivation: ”She has given the violin a new face within jazz”. Terese has also been honored to perform her music with ”Bohuslän Big Band”, one of the most 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.
FABIAN KALLERDAHL is a musical powerhouse from Gothenburg, Sweden. His energetic, rhythmic, and impulsive way of playing and composing made him an essential figure in Swedish jazz. Kallerdahl has been awarded the prestigious ”Jazz in Sweden” award and is known for his work with the piano trio Musicmusicmusic, with whom he has performed worldwide and released ten albums.
ARVID JULLANDER from Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the most interesting and upcoming bassists in Sweden. He has played with top musicians from all over the world. Chosen as one out of three bassists to the ”Betty Carters Jazz Ahead” program, he got to work with Jason Moran, Eric Harland, Carmen Lundy, and Eric Revis, among many others. After studying at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, he is now one of the hardest working musicians in the city. In August 2018 he was awarded the ”Monica Zetterlund” award, which is given out to one young up and coming jazz musician every year.
JOHAN BIRGENIUS is a versatile yet highly profiled musician known for his nuances and energetic outbursts. He regularly plays on the international scene with various bands and projects and always works for the collective to sound as good as possible.
ALEXANDER IVARSSON is a Swedish musician based in Gothenburg, Sweden. He’s influenced by a wide variety of musical genres but the one that he holds dearest to his heart is bebop. With influences like “Stan” Åke Hasselgård, Buddy Defranco, Ken Peplowski, Putte Wickman, Tony Scott amongst others, Alexander has created his own sound. It’s a combination of strict bebop lines and more impulsive modern language. Alexander has been playing the clarinet since he was 8 years old and has played concerts with musicians such as; Per “Texas” Johansson, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Peter Asplund, Jojje Wadenius, Victoria Tolstoy, Tina Ahlin, Nils Landgren and many others.
