Katarina & Svante Henryson
Biography Katarina & Svante Henryson
Katarina Henryson
was born in Stockholm, where she also grew up. Singing has been her chosen means of expression ever since her early schooling at the Adolf Fredrik’s Music School, through her training at the Stockholm Royal Academy of Music and during the 1990s when she was active as studio and backing vocalist in the elds of pop and soul.
Since 1984, as one of the founding members of the vocal group The Real Group, Katarina has contributed to the development of a unique ensemble. Her exible alto and distinctive stage presence make her a cornerstone in the group, whose numerous recordings and countless international live appearances have made it a Scandinavian model in the eld of vocal music.
Off the stage Katarina composes and writes lyrics, with jazz and folk music forming the starting point of her music-making. Her vocal style is direct and artless, and her singing has been described as ‘soul madrigal’.
Svante Henryson
grew up in Umeå in northern Sweden, where he began his musical career as a bass player (acoustic and electric) in jazz and rock formations. Following studies at the Prague Music Academy, he became the youngest ever principal double-bass player of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
A musical U-turn followed as Svante became bass guitarist in a heavy metal band fronted by the rock guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen. During the extensive tours across the world, Svante taught himself yet another instrument – the cello. On it he has developed a unique style, ground-breaking in terms of sound, playing techniques and, not least, genre.
On his three instruments, Svante moves effortlessly across an unusually broad musical spectrum, as the varied list of his collaborators testi es: Elvis Costello, Chico Freeman, Anne So e von Otter, Steve Gadd, Jon Balke, Ketil Bjørnstad, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Martin Fröst and many more.
Also a composer, Svante Henryson has written works for orchestra, chamber ensembles and choir, as well as concertos, including compositions for instruments such as electric bass and steelpans.
