EMPLOYMENT
Director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program at Columbia University
July 2021 - present
Assistant Director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program at Columbia University
September 2013 - June 2021
EDUCATION
Berklee College of Music
Bachelor of Music in Professional Music, Summa Cum Laude 1988 Studies in saxophone with pedagogue Joe Viola for 3 years
Manhattan School of Music
Master of Music, Jazz/Commercial Saxophone Major 1995 Woodwinds with Bob Mintzer
Arranging with Maria Schneider
Rutgers University
Composition with Tarik O’Regan 2015
AWARDS | GRANTS | COMMISSIONS
TONO Work Stipend
Norwegian Composers Rights Organization 2014
Komponistenes Vederlags Fond Composers Grant 2010
Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant 2009
ASCAP Plus Award 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 & 2009 DANY ARTS Grant
Awarded to the group NYNDK 2006 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
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
Book of Mirrors, 18 Rhythmic and Intervallic Studies for Saxophone published by Norsk Musikforlag 2020
Celebrate Coltrane Festival, Philadelphia
Ole Mathisen Trio premiers compositions and arrangements in tribute to John Coltrane 2019
NRK (Norwegian National Broadcasting System) Academic Conference
Ole Mathisen presents the lecture “Team Building, Creativity, and Innovation in Jazz” 2018
Rochester Jazz Festival
Ole Mathisen Floating Points Ensemble Concert 2017
Jazz Gallery, NYC
Ole Mathisen Floating Points Ensemble album release concert 2017
Festival de Jazz Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Festival inaugural concert by Ole Mathisen Outlier Ensemble 2016
Trondheim Jazz Festival, Norway
Ole is the featured lecturer and soloist in 2016
Hot House
Jazz Magazine interview, September issue 2015
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Ole Mathisen makes instructional videos for JALC’s Jazz Academy YouTube channel 2015
Susquehanna University High School Big Band Festival
Ole is the featured guest clinician, soloist, and band director 2015
Rick FM "All That's Jazz"
Dutch Radio jazz journalist Rolf Polak presents a feature on Ole and his music "The Jazz Profile of Ole Mathisen” 2014
Columbia University
Appointed Assistant Director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program 2013
Rubin Museum
Ole Mathisen and FFEAR (Forum For Electro Acoustic Research) premier compositions inspired by Rubin Museum artworks 2013
National Jazz Museum in Harlem
Ole presents cross-cultural projects and collaborations spanning his 25-year career on "Jazz for Curious Listeners” 2013
Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute
Ole receives a reading of his composition “Tone Poem: The Mind's Eye Inverted” by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra 2013
Komponistenes Vederlags Fond of Norway
Ole receives funding to write the chamber orchestra composition “The Other Side of Night” 2010
Chamber Music America, New Jazz Works Grant
Awarded to Ole and the group FFEAR (Forum For Electro Acoustic Research). The resulting composition “Mirage” was premiered at Miller Theatre in New York City 2009
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Ole’s composition “Mirage” is featured on the radio 2009
JazzKlubben NRK with Erling Wicklund
Ole’s composition “Mirage” is featured on the radio 2009
ALBUM RELEASES
Floating Points - self-released 2017
7 Seconds To Sundown - self-released 2015
Mirage - with FFEAR on Jazzheads 2012
Trapezoid - with Crossing Borders on Alessa Records 2012 Elastics - with Elastics Trio on Losen Records 2011
Periodic Table - on Jazzheads 2010
The Hunting Of The Snark with NYNDK - on Jazzheads 2009 Chinese Horoscope - on Jazzheads 2007
CURRENT ENSEMBLES
Ole Mathisen Floating Points Ensemble - leader, Ole Mathisen Outlier Ensemble - leader
Take Off Collective - co-leader, FFEAR - co-leader, Elastics Trio - co-leader
ENSEMBLE MEMBER
Ole is a member of Amir ElSaffar's Two Rivers & Rivers of Sound and Chris Washburne's SYOTOS.
ENDORSEMENT Ole plays exclusively Bari Synthetic Reeds.
PAST CREDITS
Ole has worked on over 100 record releases, composed several movie and television scores, has participated in numerous commercials, performed and recorded with many of the world's most recognized artists:
Film/Television
Saving One Saves Everyone Documentary, music producer 2011
Make 'em Laugh
PBS Documentary, saxophones & clarinet 2009
Independent Lens, Mirror Dance PBS Documentary, clarinet 2005
Isaac Stern Education Legacy at Carnegie Hall
How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall? Carnegie Hall School Program Cartoon, arrangements 2003
Miami on the Beach
The Travel Channel episodes 1,2,3,4 as composer, producer, arranger & performer 2001
Labor & Delivery
The Learning Channel - Series 2, episodes 1,2,3,4 as composer, producer, arranger & performer 2001
Labor & Delivery
The Learning Channel - Series 1, episodes 2,3,4,5 as composer, producer, arranger & performer 2001
Scope of Desire
Parallax Pictures as composer, arranger, producer & performer 2001
Noah Knows Best
Nickelodeon Television - 13 episodes as performer, composer & producer 2000
Thomas Crown Affair
MGM Pictures, saxophone 1999
Muppets From Space
Jim Henson Productions as additional composer & orchestrator 1999
Planet Kate
Nickelodeon Television as additional composer 1998
Cirque Du Monde
Bruton Library Music as composer & producer 1997
Jazz & Blues Guitar Vol. 1
Megatrax Library Music, saxophone 1996
Jazz Nights Vol. 1 & 2
Megatrax Library Music, saxophone 1996
The African Burial Ground
Kutz Television, saxophone 1994
Hard Boiled
Milestone Productions, dir. John Woo, saxophone 1993
News Theme
NBC Live at Five New York, saxophone 1990-91
Select Recordings
Floating Points
Ole Mathisen Floating Points Ensemble; saxophone, composer, producer, recording/mix & mastering engineer 2018
Not Two
Amir ElSaffar and Rivers of Sound, New Amsterdam Records, saxophone 2019
7 Seconds to Sundown
Ole Mathisen Outlier Ensemble; saxophone, composer, producer, recording/mix & mastering engineer 2015
Crisis
Amir ElSaffar and Two Rivers, Pi Records, saxophone 2015
A Pastel Shade
Jiro Yoshida, Sony, saxophone & composer 2015
Low Ridin’
SYOTOS, Zoho Records, saxophone, arranger & composer 2015
This Side of Mestizaje
Afromantra, Afromantra Records; saxophone, mix & mastering engineer 2014
Alchemy
Amir ElSaffar, Pi Recordings, saxophones 2013
Trapezoid
Crossing Borders, Alessa Records; saxophones, composer & producer 2012
Mirage
FFEAR, Jazzheads, saxophones, clarinet, composer, producer & mix engineer 2012
Inana
Amir Elsaffar, Pi Records, saxophones 2011
Elastics
Ole Mathisen, Per Mathisen, Paolo Vinaccia, Losen Records, saxophone, composer, producer & mix engineer 2011
Timeless Tales
Hans Mathisen, Curling Legs, producer & mix engineer 2011
A Window to Color
Mamak Khadem, Self-Released, clarinet & saxophone 2011
Psicodrama
Oscar Gonzalez, Self-Released, saxophones 2011
Fields of Moons
SYOTOS, Jazzheads, saxophones, clarinet & composer 2010
Periodic Table
Ole Mathisen, Jazzheads, saxophone, composer, producer, mix & master engineer 2010
Imaginary Knots
Hamid Saedi, Hamid Saedi, clarinet & saxophone 2009
The Hunting of the Snark
NYNDK, Jazzheads, saxophone, arranger & producer 2009
Platonic
Jiro Yoshida, Platonic, saxophones 2009
Known Garden
Joshua Davis Group, Squashed Records, saxophones 2009
Jungle City
Alex Acuna, Hoff, Mathisen, Alessa, recording engineer 2009
Before Love Has Gone
Stevie Holland, 150 Music, Saxophone 2008
Perpetual Dream
Yumiko Orishige, Platonic, saxophone 2008
Chinese Horoscope
Ole Mathisen, Jazzheads, saxophone, composer, producer & mix engineer 2007
Nordic Disruption
NYNDK, Jazzheads, saxophones, composer, producer & mix engineer 2007
Jostojoo
Mamak Khadem, Banyan Tree, clarinet & saxophones 2007
In Essence
Keiko Lee, Sony, saxophones 2007
One
Jamshied Sharifi, Ceres, clarinet & saxophone 2007
Score
Dream Theater, Rhino Entertainment, clarinet 2006
Land of Nod
SYOTOS, Jazzheads, saxophone, clarinet & composer 2006
Uplifting Spirit
Afromantra, Afromantra Records, saxophones 2006
Unbound
Olga Konkova/Per Mathisen, Alessa, saxophones, producer, mix engineer & programmer 2006
Made in New York
Jiro Yoshida, Jazzbank, saxophones 2005
Quiet Songs
Hans Mathisen, Curling Legs, saxophone 2005
Single One
12-O-Clock, L’atelieir Clair, saxophones, ww’s & engineer 2005
NYNDK
NYNDK, Jazzheads, saxophones, composer & producer 2004
Mystery Bag
Stringzone, Nagel Heyer, soprano sax, recording & mixing engineer 2004
Paradise in Trouble
Chris Washburne+SYOTOS Band, Jazzheads, saxophone, composer & arranger 2003
Being There
Mordy Ferber, Half Note Records, soprano saxophone 2003
Chemistry of Love
Toku, Sony, saxophone 2002
The Other Side
SYOTOS, Jazzheads, saxophone & arranger 2001
Lowlands
Susan McKeown, Green Linnet, clarinet 2000
Jim Hensen’s Muppets from Space
Muppets,Varese Sarabande, additional composer & saxophone 1999
Guitar and The Moon
Jiro Yoshida, King Records, saxophones 1999
Presence
Bruno Råberg, Orbismusic, saxophone & producer 1999
Billy Joe
Paula Cole, Emago, saxophone 1999
Day Dreaming
Keiko Lee, Sony, saxophone 1999
Tokyo Nostalgie
Shimpei Asai, King Records, saxophone 1999
Orbis
Bruno Råberg, Orbismusic, saxophone & producer 1998
Nuyorican Night
Chris Washburne+SYOTOS Band, Jazzheads, saxophone, arranger & producer 1998
Sunshine After the Rain
Monday Michiru, remix by Masters At Work, Polygram, saxophone 1997
On The Move
Per Mathisen/Olga Konkova, Candid Records, saxophone & producer 1997
Ami Wa Wa
Gipsy Kings, remix by Masters At Work, Nonsuch, saxophone 1997
From Your Heart and Your Soul
Steve Hunt, Spicerack, saxophone 1997
A Prayer For the Soul of Layla
Jamshied Sharifi, Alula; ethnic guitars 1997
Who Stepped on it
Hyun Chul Kim, Samsung, saxophone & arranger 1997
Tribute
Hyun Chul Kim, Samsung, saxophone & arranger 1997
Funky Station
Sang Won Han, Digital Media, saxophone & arranger 1997
Mystery Travellers
Won Young Chung, Digital Media, saxophone 1996
Dragonfly in NY
Jiro Yoshida/Kim Nazarian, JVC, saxophone 1996
My Beating Heart
Jiro Yoshida, King Records, saxophone 1996
Kickin’ It with Keiko Lee
Keiko Lee, Sony, saxophone 1996
Indo e Vindo
Eduardo Tancredi, Veerecords, saxophone 1996
5
Hyun Chul Kim, Samsung, saxophone & arranger 1996
Heirs to Jobim
Philip Hamilton, various artists, BMG, saxophone 1995
Who Stepped On It
Hyun Chul Kim, Dong-A, saxophone & arranger 1995
Creatures
Ahmad Mansour, Gorgone, saxophone, producer & composer 1995
Best of Reggae Cover Vol. II
Rikki Phillips, Meldac, saxophone 1995
70's Reminiscence
Val Hawk, Portazul, saxophone 1995
VI
Susie Kang, Shinsegye Sound, saxophone 1995
Reggea 10 000 V
Various Artists, Meldac, saxophone 1995
Eden
Iris & Ofer Portugaly, Acum, saxophone 1995
Mystery
SSAW, Dong-A, saxophone & arranger 1995
Iris & Ofer Portugaly
Iris & Ofer Portugaly, Acum, saxophone 1994
Keep On Moving
Mighty Sam McClane, AudioQuest, saxophone 1994
Liquid Smoke
Randy Roos, Narada, saxophone 1994
Time Stood Still
Bob Moses, Gramavision, saxophone 1993
Hard Boiled
Michael Gibbs, Mute Records, saxophone 1993
I Photograph To Remember
SSAW, Dong-A, saxophone & arranger 1993
Live At Carnegie Hall
Flying Elephants, King Records, saxophone 1993
Seoul, Soul, Soul of Sang
Sang Won Han, Dong-A, saxophone 1993
At the Edges of White
Fernando Tarres, Muse Records, saxophone 1992
Drive
Toshihiko Kankawa, Tokuma, saxophone & co-composer 1991
Garuda's Groove
Shockra, Apogee, saxophone 1991
Acoustic Quartet
Torsten de Winkel, Hot Wire, saxophone 1991
Cover Girl
New Kids On The Block, CBS, saxophone 1990
Paintings In My Mind
Tommy Page, Warner, saxophone 1990
Close Together
New Sound Workshop, M.MC.Bee, saxophone, producer & composer 1989
PRESS QUOTES
Chinese Horoscope
“Simply put: Chinese Horoscope is a masterpiece.” Charles Farrell, eMusic.com
"Mathisen has already moved away from any forebears into his own territory." Charles Farrell, eMusic.com
“Chinese Horoscope is in many ways the definitive breakthrough for Ole Mathisen.” Tor Hammerø, Side2.no
Periodic Table
“So put on your goggles and white lab coats, break out the beakers and Bunsen
burners, because it is party time in the lab.” Brad Walseth, Jazzchicago.net
"Ole Mathisen makes an impressive statement as perhaps the finest tenor player flying just beneath the radar of fans and critics alike....Ole Mathisen is carving out his own incredibly unique vision by taking the harmonic road less traveled for an approach that is vibrant, fresh, and most importantly expansive both in presentation and composition. Pushing sonic buttons and boundaries positions Mathisen as an artist to watch closely in the coming years with the best advice being to check out all of his subsequent work so that his harmonic development can be charted on your own." Brent Black, Bop-N-Jazz
"Explosive chemistry lesson from New York." Terje Mosnes, Dagbladet
NYNDK
"....pointedly cosmopolitan post-bop collective," Nate Chinen, The New York Times
"....one of the best modern-mainstream outings of 2004," Glenn Astarita,
Jazzreview.com
“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.” Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
"His saxophone wanders into seductive odd time signatures,... riding an angular trail, adding fast jabs and a tumble of notes that blow across in an intense whirl." Jerry D'Souza, All About Jazz
Elastics
"THE great jazz album of the spring." Roald Helgheim, Dagsavisen
FFEAR - Mirage
"..this band has brought the goods in a big way." Pete Pardo, SeaOfTranquility.org
"An engaging 2012 LP, which deftly balances its brainy and earthy impulses.” Time Out New York
"An adventure in sound manipulation. Expect the unexpected. Stunning....Mirage is the title piece composed by Ole Mathisen and explores complex meter without ever feeling the need to pitch a tent to make a pretentious point....this is music that is precisely executed and meticulously composed while never losing the spontaneity of the improvisational genius that all four members bring as a harmonious synergy of space and time...Mirage while a master-class in both performance and composition asks very little in return other than for one to listen.” Brent Black, Bop-N-Jazz
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