Stian Westerhus

Stian Westerhus (born 2 April 1979) is a Norwegian guitarist known for his experimental style, explored with keyboardist Øystein Moen in the bands Jaga Jazzist and Puma and with Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvær, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang, and Ingar Zach.

Career

Westerhus holds a bachelor in jazz from Middlesex University under Stuart Hall, and a master from the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, (NTNU, 2005).

He was first recognised by a broader audience within the experimental jazz band Puma, with whom he released four albums. The soloalbum Pitch Black Star Spangled (2010) on Rune Grammofon got some attention in reviews. They have been of great inspiration to new experimental Norwegian musicians like Natalie Sandtorv and Torgeir Standal in The Jist duo.

Gallery

Honors Spellemannprisen 2012, in the class Jazz together with Sidsel Endresen, for the album Didymoi Dreams

Discography

Solo albums 2009: Galore (Rune Grammofon/The Last Record Company) 2010: Pitch Black Star Spangled (Rune Grammofon) 2008 - BBC’s Award for Innovation in Jazz with Fraud 2007 - Sparebank 1 SNM's jazz talent scholarship awarded at Moldejazz 2007 - Ronnie Scott's Award for Best Newcomer 2007 (UK) with Fraud 2006 - Trondheim Jazz Festival's talent prize with Bladed 2006 - Moldejazz's young jazz musician of the year with Puma