Anders Åstrand

About Anders

Anders Åstrand is a renowned Swedish mallet specialist (vibraphone and marimba), focusing on improvisation, with influences ranging from jazz, Scandinavian folk music, Gregorian chants, and ancient Greek songs. Currently teaching percussion and improvisation at the University of Örebro, Åstrand is also a performing clinician composer, collaborating internationally with both ensembles and orchestras. His commissions include compositions for percussion and chamber music ensembles, brass quintets, saxophone quartet, choirs, and big band. A more spectacular side features compositions for ice instruments for percussion ensemble, as well as using fighter aircrafts, snow trucks, and buildings as instruments. Åstrand’s music can also be found in multimedia performances including dance, video projections, ice instruments, and fire sculptures.

Åstrand plays in several groups, including jazz duos, chamber music ensembles, big bands, and is a frequent guest artist in various collaborations.

Åstrand has several times performed at PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention). He is endorsed by Yamaha instruments, Zildjian cymbals, and Evans drumheads. Åstrand plays his signature series mallets by Vic Firth.

My goal is to help students find and develop their own, unique musical voice, using various genres and creative tools in the daily music making. Every hour of practice is a concert in its own.