Mathias Gunnarson

Mathias Gunnarson was born in 1974 in the small town of Tidaholm, Sweden. He began his musical career as a trumpet player in the public music school and has since studied at Skövde High School of Music, Ingesunds Folkhögskola in Arvika with Mr. Harry Kvebaeck and finally at the Malmö Academy of Music with Bo Nilsson and Håkan Hardenberger. In 1998 he won the first prize in the Royal Swedish Academy Scholarship Competition. After graduating in 2000, he worked in many major orchestras in Sweden such as the Malmö Symphony Orchestra and the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. He has performed as a soloist with Ars Nova (Malmö) and with Musica Vitae from Växjö. He has also given numerous recitals with trumpet and organ/piano. Internationally Mathias has performed in: Denmark with Athelas Sinfonietta, Austria with Klangforum Wien, in Germany with Dresdner Sinfoniker, in Kenya and Seychelles with Seychell Festival Orchestra, Erasmus Brass Ensemble in London and in France as a member and soloist of Académie Provencale les Amis de Stuttgart. In addition to his classical training and career, Mathias has played in various groups and constellations, most notably in Malmö, including the Balkan band Östblocket, which he co-founded in 1996.