Mats Olofsson

Mats Olofsson studied in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Boston under Elemér Lavotha and Laurence Lesser, taking part in masterclasses with Daniil Shafran and Miklós Perényi. He has also studied baroque cello with Phoebe Carrai. His solo repertoire includes concertos from the baroque and Romantic periods, but also modern and contemporary works by composers ranging from Britten to Sofia Gubaidulina and Olav Anton Thommessen. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Denmark and Sweden, and does so regularly with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra, of which he has been principal cellist since 2001. A highly versatile musician, Mats Olofsson is a member of the Stenhammar Quartet, whose recordings of primarily Scandinavian works have received international acclaim. His interest in early music and the art of continuo playing finds outlet in the baroque ensemble Paradiso Musicale, and he is a member of ‘the peärls before swïne experience’, an acclaimed ensemble for new music. This is his first recording as a soloist with orchestra.