Celebrating 20 years since the solo recording of 29 Pieces for the Microtonal Guitar Live at Knitting Factory New York and three decades since first engaging in explorations of the parameter of pitch under the tutelage of pioneering composer Joe Maneri, while mentored by American improvised music icons Jimmy Giuffre and Paul Bley. New York City composer guitarist, producer, and educator Sten Hostfalt embodies an innovative commitment to, and membership in the international creative music community since 1976.

'Sten Hostfalt is a leading innovative guitarist and composer working on the New York music scene of today. He performs with some of the most original and unique voices in modern music and has been called 'highly exceptional' by legendary American music icon Jimmy Giuffre and 'virtuosic' by musical innovator Joe Maneri' writes master educator, Berklee College of Music Professor Jon Damian-one of the world's foremost thinkers about guitar, theory and pedagogy, in his book' FRESH MUSIC : Explorations with The Creative Workshop Ensemble For Musicians, Artists and Teachers' a document of 40 years with a workshop that have hosted leading jazz guitarists Bill Frisell, Jeff Parker, Mark Whitfield, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Leni Stern, Wayne Krantz and Lionel Loueke.

Sten Hostfalt has developed his own repertoire incorporating microtones - a genuinely innovative approach, in the future 29 Pieces for the Microtonal Guitar may be be considered a groundbreaking work - Don Williamson JAZZ REVIEW

'The total immersion of a mini-verse of finely etched detail taken to glorious extremes, 29 Pieces for The Microtonal Guitar is among the most riveting explorations of the microtonal world ever recorded. It's fine focus and beauty of detail puts the cycle in a class with John Cage's exquisite 'Sonatas and Preludes for Prepared Piano' - Larry Cosentino, SIGNAL TO NOISE

Active as a performer, composer and bandleader since the late 70's, Sten Hostfalt's international recognition as a singularly unique and original guitarist, composer and solo performer came with his second album,'29 Pieces For The Microtonal Guitar Live at Knitting Factory New York". A 2002 solo concert recording devoted to a microtonal guitar and electronics program informed by mentor Joe Maneri's Equal-Tempered 72-note system. Released at the heels of his debut album as a leader 'Eternity Check', initiated by Hostfalt's mentor, avant-Jazz pioneer Paul Bley, the following release, funded by little else than a artist network, and pressed up in 300 copies, '29 Pieces' was considering its independent production and unorthodox program very well-received.

'Sten Hostfalt takes the rigid confines of Guitar and transforms it into an instrument capable of exploring the minute spaces between traditional notes by using altered tunings, mechanical preparations and Electronically enhanced techniques. The result, 29 Pieces for the Microtonal Guitar, is an intriguing recording that shows just how far an instrument can be bent and altered to meet a more experimental and adventurous need, taking you on a journey to a place where rules simply don't exist. For those with ears broad enough to allow for the possibility that music can extend beyond the expected, and expand the potent boundaries of experience' - John Kelman, ALL ABOUT JAZZ

'Not for the faint of heart. Beyond rapturous. High density, highly logical in a completely different way, and highly recommended' - Kenneth Egbert, JAZZ NOW

'Rants And Raves-Editors Pick' - Barry Cleveland, GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE 
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'In and out of the aural palette in an attractive complexity. Hostfalt gives you another angle on exploring tone colors and guitar abstractions that you will not want to miss' - Grego Applegate Edwards, CADENCE

Stylistically Jazz Now drew comparisons to John Fahey and Derek Bailey. Guitar Player's 'Rants and Raves' placed the work next to 'The 21st Century Guide To King Crimson'. While Cadence noted Captain Beefheart and Jimi Hendrix influences. Since the debut CD's, Sten Hostfalt has produced nine recordings as a leader, on his own label, Sonus Rex (ex g-wOw). In the process, enlisting engineers Greg Thompson (They Might be Giants, David Byrne, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber, Korn) Doug Henderson (Anthony and The Johnsons, Devendra Banhart, Swans, Sleep, System of a Down) and Eric Tew (Super Furry Animals, Ted Leo, Boss Hog, Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Phife Dawg, Fountains of Wayne), by way of New York City's Micro-Moose and Kampo studios, the Swedish Radio Studio as well as artist grants from the Cultural Committee of Sweden for tours and concerts in France, Sweden and U.S.A.

'Sten Hostfalt's prepared guitar explorations combine jazz soloing with surreal effects, we're Impressed with his fast finger and intense focus' - TIME OUT NY
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'Inimitable, There Are Few Musicians like Sten Hostfalt' - PM NYC / PAPER MAGAZINE

As a bandleader since the late 1970's, Sten Hostfalt's recordings have featured bassist Matthew Garrison ​(John McLaughlin, Whitney Houston, Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Joe Zawinul), trumpet player/keyboardist Takuya Nakamura (Quincy Jones,The Streets), drummer Marko Djordjevic and tenor saxophonist Matt Renzi.

As a leader of ensembles such as Ghost Factor (G-Factor), K-MOD, Soft Value, SH 3 or 4 (Sten Hostfalt Trio/Quartet), and Dimensional States, his original lineups has for the past 35 years featured bassists Masa Kamaguchi, Shayna Dulberger, Richard Hammond, Matt Pavolka, and grammy-award winning Tim Luntzel (Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash). Saxophonists Ole Mathisen, Seamus Blake, and Down-Beat rising star award winning Noah Preminger. Drummers Jimmy Weinstein, Blake Lindberg, Dave Miller, Federico Ughi and Cyril Atef (Cheb Mami, Salif Keita, Manu Dibango). Vibraphonist Tom Beckham, bassoonist Claire de Brunner, violaist Robyn Siwula, keyboardist Evan Gallagher (John Zorn, Eugene Chadborne), and vocalists Melissa Kassel, Liliana Santon and Constance Cooper.

As a sideman, Sten Hostfalt has contributed to the development of a new generation in electronica through performances with Collin Palmer AKA Calmer, featured on bass guitar in shared events with Praveen, Travis Stewart AKA Machinedrum (Azealia Banks, Jesse Boykins III), Theophilus London (Rihanna, Kanye West, Warner Bros.), Keith Murray (DEF Squad), Addiquit and MOBY. As a guitarist in drummer Marko Djordjevic's fusion outfit SVETI, btw 2006-2009 Hostfalt performed together with Nir Felder, Janek Gwizdala and Brad Mason (Diana Ross, Blood Sweat & Tears, John Mayer). Longtime membership of New York's 'Downtown scene' (since appearing with Guillermo Klein at 'old' Knitting Factory, in 1995) has included over 70 performances, and the CD 'Now Matter' together with Downtown NYC scene mainstay and longtime ABC No Rio COMA curator, saxophonist Blaise Siwula, including shared events with Tim Berne, Daniel Carter, Bern Nix, Ray Anderson, Herb Robertson and Bob Stewart.

Prior to his new millennium focus on work as a leader, Mr. Hostfalt apprenticed in jazz orchestras led by Phil Wilson and Herb Pomeroy, in one of the last editions of the legendary Berklee 'Recording Band' (that known from the 'Jazz In The Classroom recordings' since the 1950's featured Branford Marsalis, Joe Zawinul, Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Abercrombie and Quincy Jones), briefly with George Russell (NEC Big Band), and as a guitarist and featured soloist on Argentinian composer Guillermo Klein's debut El Minotauro (1994 Beat/1997 Candid) in 'Big Van'-the first edition of Klein's ensemble, described as 'unlike any other-one of the better continuing experiments in New York' by Peter Watrous of the New York Times, noted by All Music Guide for it's 'brilliant soloists', and in retrospect deemed semi-legendary' by Jazz Times. A creative format through which Hostfalt was introduced on the early 1990's New York Jazz scene alongside leading new generation jazz voices Chris Cheek, Mark Turner, Seamus Blake, Aaron Goldberg, Jeff Ballard and Melvin Butler at Mitch Borden's Jazz Club, Smalls weekly during the inception of the subsequently famed venue.

Toward the end of the old millennium, he accepted an offer to record and tour extensively in Norway, Finland and Sweden with Swedish Sandviken Big Band, in support of mainstream Jazz artists Rob McConnell, Bobby Shew and Deborah Brown at leading concert halls and venues, and in shared festival events with Ray Brown, James Moody, Phil Woods, The Woody Herman Big Band, Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen and Tower of Power.

Este virtuoso guitarrista y aclamado compositor neoyorkino se inicio' en la escena internacional del jazz a mediados de los años noventa y desde entonces ha recogido numerosos premios por sus originales proyectos y grabaciones. Y es que, Sten Hostfalt es un músico innovadorque ha ideado ténicas para el seis cuerdas estandár y más allá del sistema temperadode doce notas. En el XXXV Encontre Internacional de Compositors presenta en solitario su proyecto Microtonal guitar. - ARTS MALLORCA.com (Spain) 2014

Current (as in past 10 years) work as a leader includes solo concert premier performances of original works at the XXXV Encontre de Compositors festival at Pilar i Joan Miro', Mallorca, Spain (2014), and at Symphony Space NYC (2010-11). Music-dance collaborations with choreographer and dance artist Savina Theodorou, including the 2014 microtonal orchestral work 'Dimensional States' for 13 musicians and two dancers. And, with Italian trumpet player Johnny Lapio in a 2018 duo concert, and on the audio CD recording Sten Hostfalt/Johnny Lapio [Sonus Rex/2019]. 

'A bunch of A-list adventurous Jazz types play Sten Hostfalt's microtonal Dimensional States for Orchestra' - NEW YORK MUSIC DAILY
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A U.S. East Coast resident for the better part of the past 30 years, and a long-time New Yorker, after first arriving in Manhattan 1994. Sten Hostfalt was born in 1962 in Lulea, Sweden and became a naturalized American Citizen by way of late 1980's-early 90's scholarships, and studies at two of the world's foremost academic institutions for modern music, Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. Initially self-taught as a guitarist/composer, he studied classical guitar from age 16, heard legendary finger-style Blues guitarists Big Joe Williams live and up-close, and participated in a workshop with Jazz piano master Horace Parlan. After which he received a Bachelor's Degree from Berklee, a Masters Degree, and a Graduate Diploma from New England Conservatory, in composition and performance respectively. Facilitated via mentors, and legendary icons of American Music Jimmy Giuffre, Joe Maneri, Paul Bley, and George Russell, concerts with Gary Burton, Peter Erskine and Clare Fischer. Masterclasses with 20th century composers Toru Takemitsu and Gyorgi Ligeti. And additional studies with Lee Hyla (orchestration), George Monseur (conducting), Malcolm Peyton, Pozzi Escot, and James Hoffmann (composition), and Peter Row (Music of India).  

As an educator holding a Master of Music Education Degree from Columbia University's Teachers College, and a NY State K-12 Teacher Certificate from the New York State Department of Education, via the City University of New York at Brooklyn College. Mr. Hostfalt, currently an adjunct guitar instructor at Columbia University's Teachers College, and a band teacher in the New York City Department of Education, was introduced to the profession in 1977, through a junior high school vocational program. Embodying a four-decade contribution to music education his educator career has included assignments as an instructor in guitar, piano, bass, and digital/electronic music production at Columbia University's Teachers College. As well as faculty membership at New York Jazz Academy since 2009. Prior to which, he served as a teacher at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. And as an invited lecturer at the New World School for The Arts, Miami FL, and Berklee College of Music as well as in workshops/lectures with Guillermo Klein's Ensemble at Colegio Ward, and Centro Cultural San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina. His own private music education studio, the educational division of his music production proprietorship Sonus Rex, is a multi-genre facility known as one of few educational outlets anywhere to offer microtonal studies on the standard 6-string/12-fret guitar. 

All Rights Reserved © 2024 Sonus Rex.
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