Improvised paintings for voice and piano
Caroline Leander – Swedish pianist, singer and composer
The piano is my oldest friend who was later joined by the voice and words. Colours, form and improvisation have always had a central importance for me, since the keys have their own color, just like the days of the week. I hear music in colors, it’s called synesthesia and it takes part of how the music is born. Maybe it’s all the possibilities of the piano that led me into different paths, or the improvisation’s undiscovered places that lead me on adventures? I don’t know, but I let the music decide and I come along!
This year has been full of live-performances with different constellations. Check the calendar to follow all upcoming events!
I keep on working with collaborations in various configurations, writing new music in Swedish, Danish and English for upcoming recordings and concerts.
A Green Quiz with Gunnel Carlson!
This spring and summer, I will perform together with the Garden profile Gunnel Carlson, with our green quiz. Come to Stadsparken in Lund June 20th! Check the calendar for more info!
Primadonnans död!
The play “Primadonnans död” at Nöjesteatern in Malmö was a success last winter, and we continued with two sold out shows last autumn at Helsingborgs Stadsteater and at Victoriateatern in Malmö. To be continued in October – check the calendar for new shows!
Written and performed by Pontus Stenkvist and Maria Stille, where I take part as the choleric pianist “Magdalena Richter”.
Forever Young!
I have had the pleasure to return to Helsingborg Stadsteater in the play “Evigt Ung” (Forever Young) this spring, and also in “Den Fantastiska Leken”, celebrating the 100 years of Helsingborgs Stadsteater. It’s been a fantastic season with a great audience 🙂
Two new albums ! 😊
I perform on two recent albums that got good reviews – First in line was Harald Leander’s “Just där dagen börjar om”. It’s an album with some of the treasures from our French repertoire, with his lyrics in Swedish. I take part with my piano playing and arrangements on half of the album. Our music has been played several times on the national radio P2. Listen to the album here!
Next release was the artist WES and his album “Explosioner”. Check the album link here! Listen and read more about WES here!
WES & Bandaget played for a full house at Victoriateatern in Malmö in the beginning of March, and will give more concerts in Scania this spring and summer. Check the calendar for more info!
TRENNE – poetic and personal
TRENNE is a dynamic trio with Petra Kvist violin, guitar, vocals and Staffan Wester bass, guitar, vocals. We mix and share our own material from the three of us. All in Swedish, about that thing you know… life! We have a tour this summer in the south of Sweden – Check the calendar for our concerts. Watch our live trailer here! And for other clips check here.
Ett Halvfranskt Band – Life’s and love’s possibilities and impossibilities
Lunds Visfestival August the 18th!
With one foot in Sweden and the other one in France, is where we’re traveling with “Ett Halvfranskt Band” – a duo I have with my brother Harald Leander, actor and musician. In 2020 we’ll make a bunch of concerts in South of Sweden. For upcoming concerts check the calendar! Our concerts are like a musical dialogue about life’s and love’s possibilities and impossibilities, where we perform French chansons, Swedish and American favourites and some own material as well.
Helsingborg Piano Festival
The piano was in the front seat at Dunkers Kulturhus at the end of August and I was invited to participate in two different projects. First, I performed my own newly written music live to a number of skate films that were projected on screen, read more here! And then I played and talked about the role of the piano with the artist and singer songwriter Mjuk, together with moderator Lennart Stenkvist.
Samsø Songwriting Camp
I wrapped up my summer on the beautiful island of Samsø (DK), where I met a dozen of other songwriters and producers, for a sunny and creative week together. Last night we made a public concert, and several of the songs will surely find their home on live stages and albums in the future.
LEANDER & SMITH – Øresound pop in pocket size
Our album “Du eller Aldrig” got 4 stars in Hifi & Musik 🙂 Buy it here! And listen here!
New music will be released in 2023!
The music is the bridge between Caroline Leander and Peter Smith, both artists and songwriters on each side of the Sound. They usually meet in Peter’s kitchen in Copenhagen, in the company of Hermie, a big red cat who loves to hang around as the songs are made.
Two voices, a guitar and a piano are the starting point for their melodious pop music, where warm chords and vocal harmonies are important ingredients. They have both lived with music for many years, as solo artists and in other contexts, and have now formed the duo LEANDER & SMITH, creating intimate live performances without forgetting playfulness and groove 🙂
With titles like Du eller aldrig, Det är bättre nu and The Gap, the duo turns and twists on timeless subjects that most people can recognize. Bittersweet stories about times when we throw ourselves out without a safety net or at times when we walk around with butterflies in the stomach … Watch a live clip here!
“When we wrote our first song together, I felt I could engage 100% of myself, without any filter or concern about the result,” says Peter. Caroline agrees and adds: “We share many references but are different at the same time, so we complement each other very well and get the best out of two worlds.
Their first album was recorded in Gula Studion in Malmö, with producer and musician Jens Lindgård.
Leander & Tegnér – A dynamic and playful conversation
In the duo Leander & Tegnér there is room for both simple singable melodies and improvisations with friction and groove. I have played together with the great guitarist Peter Tegnér for many years both in Sweden and abroad. We were invited to Cairo to give three concerts; at the Swedish Embassy, Cairo Jazz Club, and El Sawy Culture Wheel. We play instrumental pieces and songs in Swedish, English and French, with an emphasis on original songs.
Ann Falden Lydlandskab – Dreamy timbres meet suggestive rhythms
The percussion instrument hang is the main focus in the project Ann Falden – Lydlandskab, which is a constellation with two Danish musicians led by percussionist, singer and composer Ann Falden. Besides my piano we hear cellist Soma Allpass. The music is evocative and meditative, where acoustic sounds are mixed with electronic, as well as loops and improvisations into a very personal soundscape. Listen and read about it here! Check out some clips from our live concert here!
CaBoom! – Fireworks of keys
After the smoke and noise from New Years Eve’s fireworks were gone, it was time for a concert by the duo CaBoom! – A firework of keys, together with percussion Bo Håkanson. I play on the black and white ones and Bo on the wood and metal ones 🙂 We played at Malmo Live last January. Read the article about us here! (in Swedish)
Kultur i vården – Theatre and music for elder people
The last two years, I have taken part of a cultural project for elder people in Scania, together with actors Anette Lindbäck and Peter Fridh. We were visiting each place three times, where we were focusing on a specific theme illustrated by words, music, pictures and objects, in order to make the audience participate as much as possible. The project will continue in autumn 2018. Organizer and director is Harald Leander.
Penelope – A miniature odyssey
Go listen to my piece Penelope, a music installation at the Cultural Quarter in Kristianstad. Via an app and smartphone, every visitor gets a unique experience, as the music changes while walking a miniature odyssey around the neighborhood.
At the premiere I gave a live concert with percussionist Bo Håkanson with our duo CaBoom! – Fireworks of keys.
Now the piece is available wherever you are, click here!
Ensemble Mirò – Heeling dynamic chamber quartet
Some years ago, the Ensemble Mirò was reunited – an instrumental quartet with playful and atmospheric compositions… A part from myself on the piano; Bo Karlsson violin, Catharina Backman accordion and Peter Wilgotsson bass clarinet and alto sax. We gave an appreciated concert at Hässleholms Culture House in connection with the opening of Nils Trydings collection of Juan Miró’s original posters.
Hopefully the Ensemble Mirò will meet up soon again, until then scroll down for a check in discography/listen menu.
Latest solo album
My latest solo album “Melting into happiness” has been well received by the press and was nominated to the Golden Record in the review OJ.
Check out some reviews here!
The compositions have a multi-faceted and deeper setting thanks to her creative musicians Anders Lorentzi bass, Bo Håkanson drums / percussion and Peter Tegnér guitar, who shape and recreate the music in a fantastic way! Also the guests Vindla String Quartet, harmonica player Filip Jers, Jens and Petter Lindgård (trombone and trumpet) from Timbuktu’s backing band Damn! add extra colour to the production.
The recordings are made in Gula Studion in Malmoe, in creative collaboration with David Carlsson, who with his playful instinct has picked out the best in her music.
Photographer Peggy Eklöf has made two videos, watch them here:
Colour, form and improvisation are the cornerstones when Caroline creates her music. Her lyrics and melodies seem carved as one piece. The piano is her oldest friend who has accompanied her performances since the 80’s where ever you can imagine; from festivals around Europe to a tiny cheese shop in north west Scania.
Her earlier album Under my Heart got many positive reviews and Caroline also received a scholarship from SKAP (Swedish Composers of Popular Music) on the ground:
“Our ensemble makes music that strolls in a land inhabited by
dreamy Californian singer-songwriters, French entertainers
and wonderful Scanian nymphs with pockets filled with jazz.
With gentle, floating tones and subtle Scandinavian
texts, her music lifts us, carries us away and brings us home again.”
