Elsa Nilsson is a musician whose music is incredibly playful and influenced by many. Her belief that music transcends cultural borders is what makes it beautiful is what she does in her compositions. She mixes cultural elements to create her own sound. Nilsson’s belief that every folk music, including jazz, has a common thread and that weaving these threads together can lead to deeper and more complete understanding between different cultures has earned her a solid reputation. Trevor James Flutes endorses Elsa. The Elsa Nilsson Quintet plays jazz as the Vikings fled from the cold to Brazil. Their shows are a tour de fore featuring original arrangements and originals that were influenced by childhood travels and childhood experiences. Nilsson uses a variety of folk styles and extended classical techniques to make her flute sound warm and lyrical while still maintaining a modern edge. Nilsson was raised in Gothenburg in Sweden. She began her love affair with music as a child, singing in her father’s ex-navy chorus. She began piano playing at the age of five. She wrote her first song at age 6. At the age of 15, she had already been playing flute for three year and was learning how to improvise from listening to Swedish Jazz records. Nilsson spent her childhood traveling between Gothenburg and California, and later to Seattle with her boyfriend. The plane ticket was meant to take her back to Sweden. Nilsson auditioned for Cornish College Of the Arts and was accepted. She decided to stay in Seattle, and her return ticket was unused. Nilsson taught and played in Seattle for a while after she graduated from school in 2008. She moved to Brooklyn in September 2010. She studied with Kenny Werner and Chris Potter as well as Jean-Michele Pilc, Robert Dick and Jamie Baum. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Jazz Performance from NYU. Nilsson has performed alongside Davy Mooney and Marc Ferber, Brad Shepik and Kenny Werner’s NYU orchestra, The Jim Knapp Orchestre, Jovino Santos Neto, and many others. Apart from her work as a leader, Nilsson composes and performs regularly in a variety projects. These include a duo with pianist Jon Cowherd (from The Brian Blade Fellowship) Far Cry Flutes (with Robert Dick and Jamie Baum) Nilsson is also a singer/songwriter with Jann Klose, the Wendy Hackett Band, and others. Nilsson’s 2013 album “Already There Yet” was released. Her mentor Robert Dick described it as “Do you hear that sound coming from the Northern sky?” Elsa Nilsson has something to say with her flute, her pen and her pen. It’s Elsa Nilsson. “Check out her music, and let her lighten your skies.” Nilsson is a private music instructor in Brooklyn with approximately 30 students a week. This includes adult flute players looking to improve their improvisation skills and flute doublers who want to improve their sound and articulation. from www.elsanilssonmusic.com
