Scandinavia House

About the musicians

Roger Hinchliffe and Claes Dyberg have for many years been seducing American audiences with the rich popular musical traditions of Sweden in Hinchliffe’s sensitive English language recreations. His remarkable voice, coupled with Dyberg’s expressive guitar work, has led to enthusiastic critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic; they can be heard on their CDs and seen on a variety of concert videos on YouTube.

Hinchliffe, from Vermont and Lexington, Massachusetts, and now Portland, Maine, lived in Stockholm for 28 years, collecting, translating, performing and recording (in English) these fantastic songs. He has two popular CDs, Swede's Greatest and Swedes on Love, available in the U.S. and in Scandinavia. One Californian critic noted: “No one has ever put together a more comprehensive, high-quality compilation of Swedish songs. It is hard to imagine anyone succeeding better!” Ana Martinez in Svenska Dagbladet asks: “What is it that makes Hinchliffe so delightful? He’s a gondolier who takes us across the ocean in our fantasies, turns Taube and Ramel into Shakespeare, and the audience swoons when he sings…”

Stockholm-native Dyberg is an accomplished guitarist, saxophonist, teacher, composer, and arranger. His sensitive arrangements and solo work can be found on Swedes on Love with Hinchliffe. Together with bassist and keyboardist Svante Engblom they form the ensemble Smalbandet.

Hailing from Stockholm, Engblom is also a guitarist and vocalist who composed most of the songs for Klick!, a joyful musical for youngsters who play, romp, dance and learn new songs – in two languages!

About Hirvonen/Cohen/Goldbas

Olli Hirvonen is a Finnish jazz guitarist, who was nominated for the Artist of the Year at the Pori Jazz Festival (2011). A graduate of the Sibelius Academy, he is pursuing his Master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where he is also an ASF Fellow. Hirvonen has performed in New York, Estonia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

Jazz pianist Emmet Cohen, a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition, plays with the maturity and confidence of a seasoned veteran. With astonishing technique and an innovative harmonic palate, Cohen engenders a deep musical bond with his audience. He has shared the bandstand with a plethora of musical luminaries, including Christian McBride, Benny Golson, Joshua Redman, Dave Holland, Patti Austin, Maceo Parker, Carmen Bradford, Billy Hart, and many others.

Jake Goldbas has made a name for himself as an in demand percussionist, educator, and composer around the world. Growing up in the Hartford, Connecticut jazz scene gave him incredible opportunities at a young age to perform with jazz greats such as Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Greene, Dave Brubeck, and Nat Reeves.