Arne Forsén - pianist

Arne Forsén (b. 3 October 1960, Umeå, Sweden) is a musician with a rare range of musical expression. With the piano as his primary creative instrument, he moves freely between different musical worlds. He has had a long and well-established career as a pianist working in open-minded jazz, free improvisation, and experimental music. Classically trained, he also has a deep interest in Swedish folk music and musical traditions from other cultures, particularly those of West Africa.

Forsén regularly collaborates with artists from other disciplines, including dance, visual art, and theatre. His work with dance has been a particularly significant part of his artistic practice.

During the mid-2020s, Forsén performs in a number of different settings, including solo concerts and a duo with saxophonist Jonas Knutsson, including their duo album, Stures Söner. He also works with dancer Karin Jemsby in a duo based on the interaction between improvised dance and music.

Among Forsén’s earlier projects, his collaboration with Jali Alagi Mbye, a master kora player from The Gambia, stands out. They toured extensively in Sweden until Mbye’s sudden death in 2018. Forsén also travelled to The Gambia to study traditional music.

Forsén has performed alongside leading European free improvisers including Paul Lovens, Harri Sjöström, Phil Minton, and Roger Turner, as well as Swedish improvisers such as Mats Gustafsson and Per-Åke Holmlander.

The Swedish jazz group BRUS TRIO, with its distinctive approach to jazz and improvisation, played a central role in Forsén’s musical life for many years, beginning in 1981. The trio’s collaborations with international free-jazz figures such as John Tchicai and Roscoe Mitchell received considerable acclaim.

To mark their 30th anniversary in autumn 2011, BRUS TRIO released the album Celebration, featuring saxophonist Fredrik Nordström and trombonist Mats Äleklint.

Swedish folk music has remained a major interest throughout Forsén’s career. He has collaborated with traditional folk musicians and singers and has also performed as a solo artist. Drawing on an extensive knowledge of traditional music, he has worked in both traditional and experimental contexts.

The project SPÅR (Traces) brings together free improvisation and live painting, featuring drummer Henrik Wartel and painter Solveig Hiestand.

For several years, Forsén devoted particular attention to the compositions of Swedish jazz musicians Lasse Werner and Kurt Lindgren. This work resulted in two CD releases, with the Sune Spångberg Trio and the Werner-Lindgren Project.

Forsén also collaborated for many years with Swedish singer Pia Olby in a distinctive musical field combining jazz, folk songs, and free improvisation.

Teaching improvisation in its many forms is another important part of Forsén’s work. His approach focuses particularly on finding ways to improvise at the intersection of different musical genres and traditions.

He also initiates cross-disciplinary projects that bring together students from different artistic fields, particularly music and dance.

In the mid-2020s, Forsén teaches piano and improvisation at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and piano at the Gnesta School of the Arts.