Our popular Summer Jazz Series returns to Scandinavia House! This summer we’re presenting performances from some of Scandinavia’s most talented young jazz musicians, composers, and singers on Thursday evenings in June and July.
On June 22, see a performance with Danish double-bass player Mathias Højgaard Jensen, a member of ensembles including International Burghauser Jazzpreis-winner HOLON TRIO, accompanied by Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Steven Crammer (drums), and Jacob Sacks (piano).
About Mathias Jensen
Mathias Jensen is a musician who has worked professionally for over a decade. Music has brought him around the world, and he has grown to become an in demand musician with an acute sensitivity, and presence. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Mathias Højgaard Jensen got involved with music at the age of 9 when he taught himself to read and play music at the piano. At age 10 he picked up the electric bass and music gradually found a way deeper into his life. After formal training at the talent program at Hørsholm Music school and later at Sankt Annæ Gymnasium and MGK he fell in love with jazz and started playing double bass. In 2013 he moved to Berlin for his bachelor in Jazz Perfomance. Here he studied under and drew from the musical experiences of many internationally renowned artists including, Greg Cohen, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Hollenbeck and Jim Black. In Berlin, Mathias gained a lot of professional experience playing and touring with a variety of bands of ensembles, most notably HOLON TRIO. In 2015 the band won a prize at the International Burghausener Jazzpreis along with an hour long feature, on Bayerischer Rundfunk.
In the fall of 2018 Mathias went to New York to become part of the vibrant world epicenter of jazz, and to take his masters degree at Manhattan School of Music. At MSM he was the student of bass legend Buster Williams, and a student of composition under Jim McNeely’s guidance. Graduating in May 2020 he moved back to Copenhagen due to Covid. While in Copenhagen he was commissioned to compose an Orchestral piece which premiered in Hamburg in July of 21’ and was performed by HOLON Trio and Ensemble Reflektor under the conduction of Holly Hyun Cho. The piece was recorded and released on Paschen Records in March 2022 on the album “Ad Astra”. In early 2022 Mathias moved back to New York where he is in high demand, playing with artists such as Oscar Noriega, Martha Sanchez, Cecil Alexander, Kevin Sun, Max Light, Dabin Ryu, Angelica Sanchez and others. Mathias’ debut album as a leader is due to come out in the fall on the label Fresh Sound.