Elsa Nilsson - flutist, composer, educator.

Flute player Elsa Nilsson was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she started her love-affair with improvised music at an early age by playing swedish traditional songs. Nilsson has delighted her Seattle audience with her inventive blend of jazz, Brazilian and Swedish folk music. Now a Brooklyn resident, Nilsson continues her atypical exploration of the flute as a lead instrument, as well as playing in various projects as a sidewoman.

Elsa Nilsson’s music is profoundly playful and widely influenced. She believes that the beauty of music is how it can transcend cultural boundaries, and Nilsson accentuates this in her music by mixing cultures and influences aggressively but not obtrusively. Her band, the Elsa Nilsson Quintet plays jazz like Vikings who got sick of the cold and fled to Brazil, seamlessly melting together diverse cultural influences ranging from northern Europe, crossing the US and going to Brazil. Their shows are filled with lots of fresh material, crazy arrangements of Swedish folk music, funky originals laced with time signatures you should feel and not count and plenty of energy.

Nilsson moved to Brooklyn, New York in September 2010. She has studied with Chris Potter, Peter Bernstein, Jean-Michele Pilc, Jamie Baum, Brad Shepik and many more. Prior to that Nilsson lived and performed in Seattle since 2005, where she played with Jim Knapp's bigband, Jovino Santos Neto, Ben Thomas, Chuck Deardorf, Dawn Clement, Michael Owcharuk, Darrius Willrich and many more.

In her playing Nilsson takes the flute to the limit of its comfort zones, bringing the flute into the light as an improvisational instrument and not just one for doublers. Nilsson draws from her background in classical, jazz, Swedish music and folk music from around the world to create a sound that is both lyrical and intricate, with frequent delightful textural surprises.

In 2009 Elsa released her first full length album "Gläns". Playing on it is Elsa Nilsson (flute and alto flute), Michael Owcharuk (piano), Nate Omdal (electric bass), Burt Boice (upright bass) and Cody Rahn (drums and cymbals). It was recorded by Hans Brehmer, Mixed by Elsa Nilsson and Jake Perrine and mastered by Jake Perrine. Michael Rioux did the artwork.

Elsa's second record, Best Left Alone, was released in 2010. It is profoundly playful and the band interactive creating an exciting mix of personality and tradition. It is well worth a second listen. This offering provides original music and heavily arranged swedish folk music featuring Alex Olesen-guitar, Aaron Jenkins-sax, Jason Gray-bass, Cody Rahn-drums and cymbals and Elsa Nilsson-flute and alto flute. It was mixed By Cody Rahn and mastered by Jake Perrine. Daniel Nilsson did the artwork.

Teaching Experience

With 5 years of private teaching experience, Elsa strives to pass on the joy of playing music to her students. She puts a lot of emphasis on the student enjoying the music they are playing and goes out of her way to find them music they want to play, making sure to give them arrangements of the music at their level. Music has taught her discipline, patience and self-control as well as passion, love and respect. Nilsson believes these are important skills to have and skills that she trys to pass on to her students when she teaches.

Plateau Music, Klahanie Issaquah, WA. 2008-2010. Piano and Flute instructor. Teaching piano, flute and clarinet to students of all ages. Focusing on music the student enjoys, keeping them motivated to practice the things necessary for playing their chosen instrument well. Transcribing songs for students that they like (anything from Mario brothers theme music to Coldplay to Miles Davis solo’s) and making them easily legible finale charts at their level.

2005- present: Maintaining a private studio with instruction in flute, piano, composition, improvisation and theory.

2005-2007: Teaching groups between 10 and 50 children of 5-13 year of age music at the Swedish culture center.

Featured Performances:

Seattle Rock Orchestra at Trippledoor Mainstage (2010)

Elsa Nilsson Quintet at University District Jazz Walk (2009)

Jim Knapp Orchestra (2008)

Featured Venues:

Tutuma Social Club, New York, NY

Puppets Jazz Bar, Brooklyn, NY

Bar 4, Brooklyn, NY

Triple Door Mainstage and Musicquarium, Seattle, WA

Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA

Tost, Seattle, WA

Lucid, Seattle, WA

LoFi, Seattle, WA

Neumos, Seattle, WA

Poncho Concert Hall, Seattle, WA

Seamonster Lounge, Seattle, WA

Egans Ballard Jamhouse, Seattle, WA

Gothenburg Concert Hall, Gothenburg, Sweden

Elsa Nilsson - photos.