STIAN CARSTENSEN

Born in Eidsvoll, Norway, Stian started playing the accordion the age of 9. He first learned from his father, and later from a classical player which he attended for 4 years. He toured in America, playing classical music. At the same time he was also into swing jazz, and his father who also played bass, played standard tunes with him.

When he was 15 he started to play electric guitar in a rock band. After a while he started to get back the interest for jazz again and formed a trio with some local artists. He lived as a freelancer and then began to study in the conservatory in Trondheim, jazz department with the guitar as a main instrument. During his two years of study in Trondheim, he formed the group Farmers Market. The group was originally a free jazz quintet, until they one day found sheet music with a Bulgarian folk tune in 11/16. This was a great experience for the band members and they practiced day and night to be able to play this asymmetrical music.

Besides of being dedicated to this kind of music, he also took lessons in Composition, learned to play the 5-string banjo in bluegrass style, played with various jazz groups.

In 1997 Farmers Market made their second album, Music from the Hybrides, with saxophonist Trifon Trifonov from Bulgaria. This was an extreme album with elements of many different styles and ideas from bluegrass in odd meters to metallica like versions of traditional Balkan tunes and slick commercial music mixed with Stockhausen. The album got very good reviews from many contemporary music magazines as well as rock, folk and jazz magazines in Europe.

He recently recorded his solo album, with only his own compositions for Winter & Winter, it will be released in 26 countries.