Genres Jazz Instruments Piano Name Esbjorn Svensson | Years active 1980–2008 Role Pianist | |
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Birth name Bror Fredrik Esbjorn Svensson Born April 16, 1964Skultuna, Sweden ( 1964-04-16 ) Died June 14, 2008, Stockholm, Sweden Albums Swedish Folk Modern, Seven Days of Falling, Tuesday Wonderland, Good Morning Susie Soho, Strange Place for Snow | ||
Associated acts Esbjorn Svensson Trio |
Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Leverkusener Jazztage (2002, 2005)
ESBJORN SVENSSON TRIO (E.S.T.) - Goldwrap [piano cover]
Esbjörn Svensson (16 April 1964 – 14 June 2008) was a Swedish jazz pianist and founder of the jazz group Esbjörn Svensson Trio, commonly known as E.S.T.
Contents
- Esbjrn Svensson Trio Leverkusener Jazztage 2002 2005
- ESBJORN SVENSSON TRIO EST Goldwrap piano cover
- Early life and work
- Rise to prominence success and death
- As leaderco leader
- As sideman
- Songs
- References

Svensson became one of Europe's most successful jazz musicians at the turn of the 21st century before dying, at the age of 44, in a scuba diving accident.

Early life and work

Svensson was introduced to both classical music and jazz very early in life through his mother, a classical pianist, and his father, a jazz enthusiast, and first showed interest in classical music. In his teenage years, he developed an interest in rock music and started a few garage bands with classmates, before going back to classical music and finally making his way towards jazz. At the age of 16, Svensson went to a music college, where he took piano lessons. He later studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, for four years.

In 1990 Svensson started his own jazz combo with his childhood friend Magnus Öström on percussion. Both had made their first appearances on stage as sidemen in the Swedish and Danish jazz scene during the 1980s. In 1993 bassist Dan Berglund joined the duo, and the Esbjörn Svensson Trio was born. The trio released its debut album, When Everyone Has Gone, in 1993, and in the following years established itself in the Nordic jazz scene. Svensson was nominated for Swedish Jazz Musician of the Year in 1995 and 1996.
Rise to prominence, success, and death
The trio's international breakthrough came with their 1999 album From Gagarin’s Point Of View, their first album to be released outside Scandinavia. With the release of their albums Good Morning Susie Soho (2000) and Strange Place for Snow (2002), the trio drew the attention of United States audiences. In 2002, they went on a 9-month tour through Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Their subsequent albums, Seven Days of Falling (2003), Viaticum (2005), and Tuesday Wonderland (2006), were equally well received by critics and fans and resulted in several music industry award nominations as well as making the jazz and pop charts.

E.S.T. was the first European jazz combo to make the front page of the American jazz magazine Down Beat (May 2006 issue). Their last live album, E.S.T. Live in Hamburg, a recording of their fall 2006 concert in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the Tuesday Wonderland Tour, was released in November 2007. Before Svensson's death, the trio was working on the concept of integrating electronic and mechanical sound expansions into a jazz trio context. E.S.T.'s last performance took place in Moscow, Russia, at the Tchaikovsky Hall, on 30 May 2008. In addition to his work with E.S.T., Svensson recorded albums with Nils Landgren, Lina Nyberg and Viktoria Tolstoy.

On 14 June 2008, Svensson went missing during a scuba diving session on Ingarö outside Stockholm, Sweden. His diving companions, including an instructor and his then 14-year-old son, eventually found him lying unconscious on the seabed. Having sustained serious injuries, he was rushed to Karolinska University Hospital by helicopter, but could not be saved. He was 44 years old, married and the father of two sons.
As leader/co-leader
As sideman
With Lasse Lindgren
With Lina Nyberg
With Nils Landgren
Songs
Dodge the DodoFrom Gagarin's Point of View · 1999
Seven Days of FallingSeven Days of Falling · 2003
Elevation of LoveSeven Days of Falling · 2003