A critically acclaimed saxophonist, Ole Mathisen is an active performer on the New York and the international jazz scene. In addition, he steadily works as a studio musician, composer, arranger, and producer. Over the years he has been involved with classical, jazz, electronic, ethnic, and experimental music, and he draws heavily on his wealth of musical experience when composing. He is currently a member of the Jazz Studies Faculty at Columbia University.
Ole has worked on more than 80 albums, composed several film and TV scores, and has performed and/ or recorded with: Paula Cole, Louie Vega, Omar Hakim, Darryl Jones, Hiram Bullock, William Kennedy, Tom Coster, Mark Egan, Steve Smith, Mino Cinelu, Peter Erskine, Eddie Gomez, Badal Roy, Rufus Reid, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Claudio Roditi, Will Lee, LaVerne Baker, Abraham Laboriel, Randy Brecker, Kenwood Dennard, Gil Goldstein, Lew Soloff, Tiger Okoshi, Michael Gibbs, Harvie Swartz, Jon Christensen, Gary Husband, Cyro Batista, Bill Bruford, Kenny Barron, Bob Moses, Jeff Berlin, Hilton Ruiz, Adam Nussbaum, Raphael, Frankie Valli, Mamak Khadem, Keiko Lee, and Dream Theater.
He is the leader of CHINESE HOROSCOPE, and a member of NYNDK, SYOTOS, Afromantra, and Mamak Khadem Ensemble.
Ole recieved his Bachelor Degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating summa cum laude in 1988. While at Berklee he studied for three years with renowned saxophone guru Joe Viola. He moved to New York in 1993 and received a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music in 1995, studying saxophone with Bob Mintzer, arranging with Maria Schneider, and film scoring with Ed Green.
Awards
Ascaplus Award; Ascap, 2007
DANY ARTS grant 2006 (awarded NYNDK)
Ascaplus Award; Ascap, 2005
Ascaplus Award; Ascap, 2004
Tono Work Stipend; Norwegian Composers Rights Organization 1999
Artists Educational Stipend; Norwegian Government 1993
Faculty Association Award; Berklee College of Music, 1987
Phil Woods Incentive Award; Berklee College of Music, 1984
"....pointedly cosmopolitan post-bop collective,"
Nate Chinen, The New York Times (NYNDK listing)
"....one of the best modern-mainstream outings of 2004,"
Glenn Astarita, Jazzreview.com (NYNDK review)
"However the biggest surprise in the group and on the CD is the Norwegian saxophonist Ole Mathisen. Whether on tenor or soprano, Mathisen tears into the music and consistently steals solo honors; check out his stirring soprano playing on Theostopher,"
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide (NYNDK review)
"The saxophonist Ole Mathisen tears up the pieces; this is modern latin jazz at it's intelligent, driving best." Peter Watrous, Descarga.com (Afromantra review)
"...Ole Mathisen takes his tenor saxophone into a riptide with jabbing phrases."
Jerry DÕSouza, All about Jazz (SYOTOS review)
"Mathisen's "Op-Ed" is a revolution in motion and his solo is exciting and frightening in its revelations."
Brad Walseth, Jazzchicago.net (SYOTOS review)
"Well, I'm very excited about this new recording 'cause every time I hear this guy play with someone I always go: Who is that sax player? You know, one of those things
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"....pointedly cosmopolitan post-bop collective,"
Nate Chinen, The New York Times (NYNDK listing)
"....one of the best modern-mainstream outings of 2004,"
Glenn Astarita, Jazzreview.com (NYNDK review)
"However the biggest surprise in the group and on the CD is the Norwegian saxophonist Ole Mathisen. Whether on tenor or soprano, Mathisen tears into the music and consistently steals solo honors; check out his stirring soprano playing on Theostopher,"
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide (NYNDK review)
"The saxophonist Ole Mathisen tears up the pieces; this is modern latin jazz at it's intelligent, driving best." Peter Watrous, Descarga.com (Afromantra review)
"...Ole Mathisen takes his tenor saxophone into a riptide with jabbing phrases."
Jerry DÕSouza, All about Jazz (SYOTOS review)
"Mathisen's "Op-Ed" is a revolution in motion and his solo is exciting and frightening in its revelations."
Brad Walseth, Jazzchicago.net (SYOTOS review)
"Well, I'm very excited about this new recording 'cause every time I hear this guy play with someone I always go: Who is that sax player? You know, one of those things. Well, it always turns out that his name is Ole Mathisen. He is originally from Norway. IÕve heard him play with Chris Washburne's SYOTOS Band and also with Alex Garcia's Afromantra, and in every instance he just catches your attention with his playing. So he has a new record out, fairly recent, called "Chinese Horoscope," and he has brought together with himself three of the best musicians you're gonna find anywhere. Adventuresome; they get a little atonal, they're happy to play odd meters, and you know, do things a little bit different. Russ Lossing on piano, Tony Moreno on drums, and Francois Moutin on bass."
Maurice Hogue, One Man's Jazz radio program Sept. 29th, CKUW 95.9 FM Winnipeg, Canada
"Simply put: Chinese Horoscope is a masterpiece." Charles Farrell, eMusic.com
"Chinese Horoscope is in many ways the definitive break-through for Ole Mathisen." Tor Hammerø, Side2.no
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