Richard Andersson

Richard Andersson was born in October 1982. He grew up in a musical family, but never showed much interest in music. “My parents strongly encouraged me to play classical piano, but I never bothered to practice. Yet I did have a secret dream about becoming a cool guitarist, mostly to impress the girls...”. At the age of 14 everything changed, when childishly playing around with fireworks took away Richard's sight. Soon after the accident Richard started taking lessons in classical guitar and suddenly he saw the beauty of music. “Later I took up the piano again, then rock/jazz guitar and at age 16 the bass became my main instrument”.

Richard Andersson was born in October 1982. He grew up in a musical family, but never showed much interest in music. “My parents strongly encouraged me to play classical piano, but I never bothered to practice. Yet I did have a secret dream about becoming a cool guitarist, mostly to impress the girls...”. At the age of 14 everything changed, when childishly playing around with fireworks took away Richard's sight. Soon after the accident Richard started taking lessons in classical guitar and suddenly he saw the beauty of music. “Later I took up the piano again, then rock/jazz guitar and at age 16 the bass became my main instrument”.

Richard Andersson earned his diploma degree at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music, in Odense, Danmark (2008). He studied in the masters program at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York (2008-2009). He finished the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma program (Solistklassen) at the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen in the Summer of 2014.

In the spring of 2010 Richard Andersson received the biggest danish prize for young jazz talents called “Stjerneprisen”. Later the same year he released his first CD as a bandleader. Richard Andersson Sustainable Quartet/ Please Recycle (BlackOut Music) features three great New York based musicians including saxophone player Tony Malaby. The CD was very well received and achieved excellent reviews in both Scandinavia and New York. In New York, AllAboutJazz placed it on the list of “Best Danish Releases of 2010”. Also in 2010 Richard Andersson was awarded “Funen Jazz Musician of the Year”. (Funen is one of Denmarks three main islands/peninsulas).

Despite his relatively young age Richard Andersson is already “one of the most interesting characters of the Danish jazz scene” (Iver Rod/Gaffa), performing with Danish and international artists such as Jeff “Tain” Watts (US), Bob Moses (US), Phil Markowitz (US), Andrew D'Angelo (US), Dave Kikoski (US), Bill McHenry (US), Tony Malaby (US), Rudi Mahall (DE), Tomas Franck (S), Kasper Tranberg (DK), Jesper Zeuthen (DK), Ben Besiakov (DK), Uffe Steen (DK), Loren Stillman (US), George Garzone (US), Frank Tiberi (US), Kresten Osgood (DK), Jacob Anderskov (DK), Henrik Walsdorf (DE).

Awards

NHØP honorable mention Bass convention 2012 jazz and impro competition Funen Jazz Musician of the Year 2010 Stjerneprisen Denmark 2010