Simon Toldam

BIO

The award winning pianist and composer Simon Toldam is one of Scandinavia’s most exciting and distinguished musicians, having released 17 albums as a leader and co-leader. He is a five-time winner of Danish Music Awards - among these “Orchestra of the Year 2021” and “Best Album of the Year 2019” at Danish Music Awards Jazz - and is a member of the Danish jazz and contemporary music recording label, ILK Music. In 2015, he received the prestigious 3-year grant from The Danish Arts Foundation. 

Toldam started his first trio at the age of 9, and has since then been leading and co-leading several groups playing jazz, improv and beyond. Composition and improvisation has always been – and still are - the mainpillars in the musical carrier of this versatile player. He has composed music for orchestras of various size all the way from solo to 20-piece orchestras, for film, theatre, contemporary dance, and has been official Festival Composer at Cph Jazzfestival .

Besides leading/co-leading a number of groups, Toldam is in demand on the scene as sideman in various, jazz/new music settings, and as teacher on the conservatories in DK.

Toldam main focus is currently leading his own trio and the new constellation Toldam´s Tak For Dit brev, both orchestras presenting the music of Toldam, showing all of his orchestrational abilities and his intriguing way of conveying his own music.

ORCHESTRAS

* Simon Toldam Trio - released four albums on ILK Music. The trio was chosen as “Orchestra of the Year” at Danish Music Awards Jazz 2021, and their recent release Omhu was awarded “Best Album of the Year” at Danish Music Awards Jazz 2019.

* Tak For Dit Brev - Music composed for and played with amazing swedish legendary bass player Georg Riedel, and swedish reed-player magnifique Nils Berg. On the album Tak For Dit Brev (ILK Music 2021) the three musicians was joined by Anders Christensen on bass and Tobias Wiklund on cornet.

* Paris Peacock - a trio consisting of Peter Bruun, Torben Snekkestad and Toldam is playing prepared piano. They play Magnified Micro Music. Improvised music inspired by the amazing insect closeup photos by Levon Biss.

* Fyrtårn - Nils Davidsen / cello, Simon Toldam / piano. The music played in FYRTÅRN (Lighthouse) is improvisations based on common thorough sonic researches, and illuminated by playfulness and hyper musical communication. They breathe as one when they dive into a music placed in the intersection between contemporary classic music and improvised music. Several albums are in the making.

* Simon Toldam Orkester STORK - a 6 piece orchestra, has released two albums on ILK Music. Nominated for a Danish Music Award 2015.

SIDEMAN

* Han Bennink Trio - Dutch drum legend. They have released three celebrated albums together. 

* All to Human - Danish drum-wiz ´Peter Bruun´s All to Human w Marc Ducret and Kasper Tranberg. Extraordinary new and great music.

And collaborations with Axel Dörner, Yasuhiro Yoshigaki, Chris Speed, Marc Ducret, Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Eivind Aarset, Nils-Petter Molvær, Marilyn Mazur, Susanna Santos Silva, Tristan Honsinger, Dave Douglas, Jakob Bro, Efterklang, Kira skov, Mellemblond and many more.