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Sten Hostfalt

Sten Hostfalt guitarist, composer, educator, producer and record label proprietor.

About Me

Born in 1962 in Lulea Sweden and a naturalized American citizen, 34 years since first arriving in the United States, Sten Hostfalt is an internationally acclaimed New York City guitar virtuoso, composer, bandleader, bassist, mandolinist, music educator, producer, and record label proprietor.

Celebrating a four-decade innovative contribution to music and music education internationally, his introduction to the international Jazz and Improvised music scene, currently represented by nine recordings as a leader for the g-wOw and Sonus Rex labels, was started with the support of mentor, legendary icon, and pioneer of American music and Jazz, Paul Bley. He was introduced to the New York City Jazz scene as a member of Guillermo Klein's large ensemble 'Big Van' in weekly 1994-95 appearances during the inception of Smalls Jazz Club, alongside new millennium A-list jazz musicians Mark Turner, Chris Cheek, Jeff Ballard, Melvin Butler, Seamus Blake, Ingrid Jensen, and Aaron Goldberg.

His performance, recording, and collaborative credits include Jimmy Giuffre, Joe Maneri, Rob McConnell, Gary Burton, Peter Erskine, Clare Fischer, and Bobby Shew, and shared concerts with Ray Brown, James Moody, Phil Woods, Tower of Power, Woody Herman Big Band, Tim Berne, MOBY, and Keith Murray (DEF Squad).

Academically a former instructor at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and Teachers College at Columbia University, and a lecturer at New World School for The Arts, at the University of Florida, Miami, FL. Mr. Hostfalt holds a Master's Degree in music education from Columbia University's Teacher's College, along with a K-12 NY State teaching certificate via CUNY at Brooklyn College, and a Master of Music Degree in Jazz Composition from New England Conservatory, as an honors emissary. As well as a Bachelor of Music Degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music, with honors, and as an Outstanding Musicianship Award recipient, and member of the institution's premier Jazz orchestras led by Phil Wilson and Herb Pomeroy.

Forty-five years after his debut as a classroom music teacher (in 1977) as part of a Junior high school vocational program, He is currently implementing instrumental music curricula for the New York City Department of Education at P.S. 189 and P.S./I.S. 295Q, where he teaches general music, theory, composition, collaborative band/ensemble, piano, guitar, percussion, and wind instruments.

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