​Sten Höstfält Music Educator 
​Embodying a four-decade pronounced innovative contribution to music and music education, as a member of the New York City creative music community since 1994, the U.S. East Coast music scene since 1989, and internationally ever since 1982. Composer, guitarist, bandleader, producer, and veteran music educator Sten Hostfalt is recognized as a genuinely innovative musician, whose work may be considered groundbreaking in the future (Don Williamson, Jazz Review, 2005), and whose work is among the most riveting explorations of the microtonal world ever recorded (Larry Cosentino, Signal to Noise, 2005), showing just how far an instrument can be bent and altered to meet a more experimental, adventurous need, taking you on a journey to a place where anything is possible (John Kelman, All About Jazz, 2004). Realized through self-invented interpretative techniques to apply mentor Joe Maneri's 72-EDO Virtual Pitch Continuum, and manifested through a three-decade in-concert exploration of the parameter of pitch contributing to the expansion of the vocabulary for the traditional six-string/twelve-fret guitar, and to music of our time. 

In his 2015 book Fresh Music: Explorations with the Creative Workshop Ensemble, for Musicians, Artists, Educators, longtime Berklee College of Music professor and distinguished master music educator Jon Damian, the teacher of such contemporary leading improvising guitarists as Bill Frisell, Mark Whitfield, Wayne Krantz, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jeff Parker, and Lionel Loueke refers to Sten Hostfalt as a leading innovative guitarist/composer working on the New York music scene today, who 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.  While, Franck Jedrzejewski's book Dictionnaire de musiques microtonales 1892-2013 (Nouvelle édition revue et augmentée), published by  L'Harmattan (Paris, France 2014) describes Mr. Hostfalt and his creative music work as: Hostfalt (Sten). Guitariste de jazz et improvisateur américain. Sten Hostfalt emploie les micro-intervalles a la manière de Joe Maneri depuis 1992. Il a enregistré plusieurs CDs sur son propre label Sonus Rex. Enregistrements. 29 Pieces for the Microtonal Guitar Live at Knitting Factory (Sonus Rex, 2003). Macroscope (Sonus Rex, 2006). 

Educator Profile
The founder/director of Sten Hostfalt's NYC Guitar Studio-one of few educational operations anywhere offering microtonal music studies. And currently a music instructor at the #1 (U.S. News and World Report 2024) academic institution for education in the United States, Columbia University's Teachers College. And an instrumental music teacher for the New York City Department of Eduction. Mr. Hostfalt is a former instructor at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and at Queensborough Community College, CUNY the City University of New York*. And a former invited lecturer at the New World School of The Arts, University of Florida, Miami FL, and Berklee College of Music. And an ensemble co-lecturer at New England Conservatory, and at Colegio Ward and Centro Cultural San Martin Buenos Aires Argentina.

A self-described life-long learner, explorer and researcher, Mr. Hostfalt's recent to current studies include introductory studies of the Arabic Oud via Brian Prunka, in relation to Teacher's College's Comprehensive Musicianship directed by Marsha Baxter. As well as acquiring elementary teaching proficiency on tertiary instruments; clarinet, flute, saxophone, percussion and voice, through the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, The City University of New York* and acquiring brass methods teaching skills through in-class instruction in the process. All in honor of formalizing a 45-year commitment to music education that dates back to his 1977 high-school vocational apprenticeship as a music teacher.
*DISCLAIMER: Sten Hostfalt's, DBA operations Sonus Rex and NYC Guitar Studio are not affiliated with the City University of New York CUNY.

Academic Studies
Mr. Hostfalt received a Masters Degree in Music Education as a scholarship recipient, from Columbia University's Teachers College, where he studied research techniques with Harold Abeles, childhood education by Lori Custodero, and college teaching by Jeanne Goffi-Fynn, and interned at Fordham University at Jazz at The Lincoln Center. He received his New York State Teaching Certification, and a Post Graduate Advanced Certificate in Music Education, from The City University of New York CUNY at Brooklyn College's Conservatory of Music. 

He also holds a Master of Music Degree in Composition, and a Graduate Diploma in Performance (Jazz Guitar) as an honors emissary from New England Conservatory. Where his teachers and mentors included legendary icons of American music Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, George Russell (Jazz composition/theory), and Joe Maneri (Microtonal Music). At NEC he also studied with Mick Goodrick (Guitar), Malcolm Peyton (composition), Lee Hyla (orchestration), James Hoffmann (12 tone composition), Pozzi Escot (Mathematical Systems), and Peter Row (Indian Music). Composition masterclasses included Tori Takemitsu and Györgi Ligeti. Prior to which he earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in Professional Music (Honors), from Berklee College of Music, as an outstanding musicianship award recipient and, where he studied with Jon Damian (Guitar), and Herb Pomeroy (ensemble) as the guitarist in the Berklee 'Recording Band', legendary through the Jazz in the Classroom recordings of the 1960s-70s. At Berklee he also studied arranging with Jeff Friedman, and conducting with George Monseur (Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowsky).

Students
Through his private studio, and related educational projects, for the past thirty years, Sten Hostfalt has provided instructional assistance to students enrolled at numerous academic institutions including Juilliard School of Music, Columbia University, Rockefeller University, New York University, The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Fiorello LaGuardia High School for The Performing Arts, City University of New York*, Mannes School of Music, Brown University, Boston University and Berklee College of Music. In addition to students being accepted into music and performing arts programs at Manhattan School Of Music, Eastman School of Music, The New School for Social Research, SUNY Purchase The State University of New York, University of Michigan School of Music Theatre and Dance, The Special Music School at Kaufman Center NYC, Frank Sinatra High School for The Arts, Bard College, The Jazz Academy at Jazz at Lincoln Center NYC, Western Illinois University, and Berklee College of Music. Former students have also been established as touring and recording professionals with internationally leading artists, and featured in leading press and media, including Down Beat Magazine's list of year-best releases. Pro coaching and on-off sessions have included artists signed or contributing to RCA, BMG, SONY, Sub Pop, Elektra Nonesuch, Fresh Sound, Rough Trade, ACT, and ECM. *DISCLAIMER: Sten Hostfalt's, DBA operations Sonus Rex and NYC Guitar Studio are not affiliated with the City University of New York CUNY.

Community 
Based on, and parallel to an active musician contribution to and membership of the New York City Jazz scene during the inception and early years of the profoundly influential music venues and communities Smalls Jazz Club, and The Jazz Gallery, as well as (Leonard St. era) Knitting Factory ever since 1994. Commitments to the New York City community has also involved serving the Downtown, Greenwich Village community by teaching guitar, bass, mandolin and ukulele to students of all ages (as young as 3 yrs old), at East Village's First Flight Music School 2007-2015. A position he was enlisted for by Downtown NY drummer and educator Paula Spiro, whose longtime contribution to the New York City music scene includes teaching founding Beastie Boys member Kate Schellenbach, and members of the all-female NYC punkband The Lunachicks (that Hostfalt coincidentally opened for in Boston, MA in 1991). At First Flight, Mr. Hostfalt succeeded the school's former teacher, Raoul Bjorkenheim (Bill Laswell, William Parker, ECM records).

As a member of New York Jazz Academy since it's 2009 inception Hostfalt has also taught jazz guitar, bass and ensemble to students from South America, Australia, China, Europe and the United States, and appeared in student-faculty concerts at Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium and Richard Bona's Club Bonafide, alongside among others Ron McLure (Wynton Kelly, Keith Jarrett, Joe Henderson), Adam Birnbaum (Al Foster, Wynton Marsalis), and Grammy Award and Down Beat Critics Poll winning tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery. 

Professional Affiliations
Mr. Hostfalt is a member of professional music education and music education research organizations NAfME the National Association for Music Educators, NYSSMA New York State School Music Association, the Society for Research in Music Education, MEANYC Music Educators Association of New York City, UFT United Federation of Teachers, and SMT The Society for Music Theory. As well as a member of musician organizations American Federation of Musicians, Associated Musicians of Greater New York-Local 802, The Guitar Foundation of America GFA, the Audio Engineering Society AES, Jazz Foundation of America, and BMI Broadcast Music Inc.
​
Musical Background
A naturalized American, Sten Hostfalt was born in Luleå, Sweden, in 1962, where the transformation from autodidact to internationally acclaimed musician began via classical guitar studies, and activity on the 80s Scandinavian progressive and New Wave music scene, that mirrored, and complemented the developments on the American and British creative music scene at the time.

Hearing fingerstyle blues guitar legend Big Joe Williams solo live up-close, and attending a workshop with Jazz piano master Horace Parlan (Archie Shepp, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Mingus) were influential for his subsequent three-decade contribution to the East Coast US/New York/Global scene, as a bandleader, and producer of recordings and concerts, described as 'There are few musicians brave enough to combine live poetry with the toy piano and the trombone on-stage, but then again, there are few musicians like Sten Hostfalt', (PM NYC, 2007), and 'We're impressed with his fast fingers and intense focus' (Hank Shteamer, Time Out NY, 2006). Work that paralleled his sideman work alongside leading contemporaries Mark Turner, Chris Cheek, Melvin Butler, Jeff Ballard, Seamus Blake, and Aaron Goldberg, as one of the 'brilliant soloists' (David R. Adler, All Music Guide,1995) in the first edition of Guillermo Klein's large ensemble 'Big Van', described as 'frenzied, passionate, interesting and finely executed' (Marcela Breton, Jazz Times 1997), and 'one of the better continuing experiments in New York' (Peter Watrous, New York Times,1995).

In reflection of this, Sten Hostfalt's debut CD release as a leader, Eternity Check, (Sonus Rex/2001) honors his activity both on the European and the American creative improvised music scene, by combining a 2001 Stockholm recording featuring Swedish progressive musicians Lise-Lotte Norelius (Fred Frith, Bitter Funeral Beer Band), and accordionist Magnus Lind (Aston Reymers Rivaler, Eldkvarn, Kung Tung, and appearing on EMI, Universal, and Virgin records as a performer and contributing composer to leading European artists including proto-ABBA lineup Hep Stars), with a Paul Bley initiated 1992 Boston, MA session with Matthew Garrison (Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Joni Mitchell), subsequently an ECM recording artist and Down Beat Rising Star Poll winner, Blake Lindberg and Takuya Nakamura (George Russell's Living Time Orchestra, Quincy Jones, Wu-Tang Clan, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, ASAP Rocky). 

Concert Performances and Recordings

CONCERT and RECORDING HIGHLIGHTS
In addition to concerts, recordings, or collaborations with icons and pioneers of American music Jimmy Giuffre, Joe Maneri, and Paul Bley (who initiated the 1992 session for Hostfalt's debut recording as a leader, Eternity Check (released 2002). And archived it in Paul Bley Fonds, Biblioteque et Archives Canada). Sten Hostfalt has performed with contemporary Jazz masters Gary Burton, Peter Erskine, Clare Fischer. As well as mainstream Jazz artists Bobby Shew (Sandviken Big Band, 30 Years in Business-Live, Four Leaf Clover,1999), Deborah Brown, and Rob McConnell. And shared festival events with Jazz legends James Moody, Ray Brown, Niels-Henning Orsted-Pedersen, Woody Herman Big Band, Phil Woods, Mike Stern, and Tower of Power.
​
SOLO PERFORMER
As a solo performer Sten Hostfalt has appeared in world premiere concert performances of original works at XXXV Internacional Encontre de Compositors at Fundacio Pilar i Joan Miro, Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain, and at New York City concert performance venues Symphony Space, Knitting Factory (Leonard St. era), The Issue Project Room, and COMA at ABC No Rio. As well as at Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge MA, and in lectures at New World School for The Arts at Miami Diade College-University of Florida, Miami FL, and Berklee College of Music, Boston MA. 

BANDLEADER
As a leader, co/leader, director and conductor of large and small ensembles, orchestras and projects performing original composed works in the USA and Europe for over four decades he has enlisted, performed, recorded and/or collaborated with bassists Matt Pavolka, Masa Kamaguchi, Richard Hammond, and (Grammy Award Winning) Tim Luntzel (Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Pete Seeger, Bernard Purdie). Drummers Blake Lindberg, Federico Ughi and Cyril Atef (Cheb Mami, Aswad). Tenor saxophonists Matt Renzi and Seamus Blake. Vibraphonist Tom Beckham, vocalists Melissa Kassel. And italian trumpet players David Boato, and Johnny Lapio, the latter collaboration documented on the 2018 recording Sten Hostfalt and Johnny Lapio [Sonus Rex 3218]. Two 2014 incarnations of Sten Hostfalt's large microtonal ensemble Dimensional States featured vocalists Liliana Santon and Constance Cooper, violaists Robyn Siwula, bassoonist Claire de Brunner, tenor saxophonists Ole Mathisen, and (Down Beat Poll Rising Star) Noah Preminger, drummers Jimmy Weinstein and Dave Miller, trombonist Stan Nishimura, keyboardist Evan Gallagher (John Zorn, Eugene Chadborne), bassists Shayna Dulberger and Matthew Garrison (Steve Coleman's 5 Elements, Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell, Whitney Houston).

ELECTRONICA
As a sideman, Sten Hostfalt has participated in and contributed to the development of a new generation in electronica through live performances with Collin Palmer AKA Calmer, featured on electric bass guitar in shared events with Travis Stewart AKA Machinedrum (Azealia Banks, Jesse Boykins III), Theophilus London (Rihanna, Kanye West, Warner Bros.), Praveen Sharma (Percussion Lab, Cassette, Mouse on Mars) Addiquit (Cat Power), Keith Murray (DEF Squad), and MOBY.

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ and FUSION
As a guitarist in Serbian-American drummer Marko Djordjevic's Jazz Fusion outfit SVETI, btw 2006-2009 Hostfalt performed together with Nir Felder (Esperanza Spalding, Meshell Ndegeocello), Janek Gwizdala (Randy Brecker, Carlos Santana), Peter Slavov (Joe Lovano, Chucho Valdes, Quincy Jones), Christian Fabian (Lionel Hampton Big Band), and Brad Mason (Diana Ross, John Mayer, Blood, Sweat and Tears). And as a bass guitarist in related lineups including Bato 'The Yugo' Andonov's Gypsy Boogie in concerts at Ilhan Ersahin's East Greenwich Village club Nublu.

NEW YORK CITY DOWNTOWN SCENE
Mr Hostfalt's membership of New York City's Downtown music scene dates back nearly three decades, since being introduced alongside subsequently leading musicians of the new millennium as a member of and featured soloist with Guillermo Klein's large ensemble 'Big Van', in a weekly 1994-95 residency during the inception of Smalls Jazz Club and in 1995, at the Jazz Gallery and 'old' (Manhattan era) Knitting Factory. As documented, Small's was a vital community and important breeding ground for jazz in the new millennium, where among others Brad Mehldau, Roy Hargrove, Peter Bernstein, Ben Monder, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and the members of the large ensembles of Guillermo Klein and Jason Lindner were significant contributors to Jazz in the new era and our time.

Current (as in the past 15 years) Downtown NY music scene contributions includes over 70 performances, and the CD 'Now Matter' together with Downtown mainstay and longtime COMA at ABC No Rio (one of the Downtown scene's longest running forums for alternative music and art) curator, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Blaise Siwula in settings from duo to larger groups. And in Downtown community related appearances in Evan Gallagher's, Stan Nishimura's and Constance Cooper's various ensembles and projects. As well as in shared concert events with among others Downtown NY avant-luminaries Tim Berne, Herb Robertson, Bob Stewart, Ray Anderson, Bern Nix, Lukas Ligeti, Daniel Carter, Roy Campbell, Matt Maneri, Matt Moran, and Ed Schuller.