Nils Lindberg

Nils Lindberg composer, arranger and pianist enjoys a unique position in Swedish musical life. His spectrum is broad, he masters jazz, art music as well as folk music. In addition, he often likes to mix improvised with composed, and secular with sacred music.

Svenskt Visarkiv (The Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research)

"...The major work is the US premiere of A Christmas Cantata by the Swedish composer Nils Lindberg...Lindberg creates a unique fusion of jazz with the classic choral tradition, originally composed to English texts. It is a rare Christmas piece that has an orchestration dominated by five saxophones...The Vocal Essence Chorus takes the roof off with Ding Dong! Merrily on High and a big band arrangement of the Sussex Carol is a real highlight."

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) 2004

"...His A Christmas Cantata mixes hypnotic and sweetly melodious snippets of the Christmas story (with text from the gospels) with booming Basie-esque big band adaptations of such carols as Ding Dong! Merrily on High and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen..."

St Paul Pioneer Press, 2004

"Jazz Requiem Powerful, Memorable
...by the end of the concert, it became clear that Lindberg is an uncommon musical talent, who, like a George Gershwin or Leonard Bernstein, moves easily from classical to popular music and seems at ease in every form."

From a concert review of Requiem, by Kyle MacMillan, Omaha World - Herald, 1998

"Lindberg is a true Renaissance man. From his home in Gagnef, a small village deep in the forests of the Swedish province of Dalecarlia, he emerges every now and again to dazzle us ordinary mortals with his many talents. Best known as a composer and arranger, he refuses to accept categorization and works with choir, jazz bands, and symphony orchestras at will...Lindberg takes a piano break to remind you that he's also no slouch as an instrumentalist. It's infuriating just how talented this man is."

From a CD review of As We Are by Chris Mosey, All about jazz, 2008