Ludvig Girdland (Violin) and Tobias Neumann (Guitar) - started playing together at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Developing new arrangements of jazz standards and Swedish traditional music they soon had a wide range of material and decided to record their debut album, (Musik, NewMan music 1998). Through this album they were invited to play on Swedish television (TV4). They also recorded several radio shows in Sweden and Denmark.
While touring in Scandinavia with this material, they were asked to teach clinics for Suzuki string groups, which was highly successful.
They have since performed in many different jazz situations/venues, including castles and concert halls.
The new album Dialogue is a new approach to the violin and guitar duo concept consisting of mostly original tunes. It will be released in the end of November 2003.
Reviews and comments from press and media on Dialogue are to follow and can be viewed at www.girdland-neumann.com
Ludvig Girdland - was born in Sweden and started playing the violin at the age of four. He started out with a classical traditional background. At the age of 10 he was accepted at the Conservatory of Gothenburg where he joined a program for young talents. After playing concerts and performing with many symphony orchestras, at the age of 15, Ludvig got extremely interested in improvised music. Incorporating this on the violin was a new concept that required slightly altered equipment. He became a true friend with the electric violin and incorporated this into playing with many bands during his high school years. After high school, Ludvig had the opportunity to study under a scholarship at Berklee College of music in Boston, USA. While in Boston, Ludvig brought his jazz playing to a new level and performed with several jazz artists, including Bob Moses and George Russell.
During Berklee, Ludvig also joined the Henry Mancini institute in Los Angeles, where he played with such artists as Diana Krall, Christian McBride, Randy Brecker, Ernie Watts and Dave Grusin.
After Berklee, Ludvig moved to Los Angeles and started playing in the studios. He can since be heard on motion pictures (K-19, Matchstick Men, Somethings's gotta give, etc), TV shows (Roswell, Once and Again, Watching Ellie etc) and on endless amounts of commercials (Lexus, Honda, Toyota, Ford, Coca Cola, Budweiser, etc.). He has also been featured on albums produced/featuring Macy Gray, Sting, Sub Bionic. While in Los Angeles he has had the opportunity to play with many great artists such as Alex Acuna, Kenny Werner, Betty Buckley, Terry Gibbs.
Ludvig has also played in shows and other productions. He was the violinist of the Holiday on Ice production - In Concert touring Europe during 2000/2001. Ludvig also played with the Cirque du Soleil show - Varekai during 2002/2003. In the spring 2003 Ludvig was the violinist for Vanessa Carlton's band touring Europe with the album: Be not Nobody.
In Los Angeles, Ludvig performs with the jazz String Quartet, Super Nova. They perform originals and original arrangements of many jazz pieces using electric violins, electronics and looping machines. www.supernovaquartet.com
Ludvig endorses D'Addario Strings and products, SWR amplifiers and LR Baggs pickups.
More information about Ludvig is available on http://www.girdland.com.
Tobias Neumann is the 6th generation of musicians. Both his grandfather Ulrik Neumann and his father Mikael Neumann play guitar. Although coming from a musical family, Tobias didn´t pick up the guitar until he was 14 years old. In 1995 at the age of 19 he moved to Boston to study at renowned Berklee College of Music. He mainly studied classical and jazz compostion and arranging. It was at Berklee Tobias met fellow swede Ludvig Girdland. During these early days the main interest was traditional jazz, which can be heard on their debut album entitles "Musik". After two years at Berklee Tobias moved back to Sweden.
Tobias has been busy composing and arranging for several string quartets, big bands, concert bands, choires, symphony orchestras, jazz combos, theatre groups etc. Malmö Symphony orchestra and Helsingborgs Symphony orchestra as well as Malmö Opera theatre has employed Tobias. Several of his arrangements and compostitions have been recorded and broadcasted on both radio and national TV. Even if he has had a busy schedule he has managed to find time to play his guitar as well. Although his main interest is contemporary music he has played a lot of classical music and lately has toured with a program of renaissance music. During his year in the capitol Stockholm he played one season at the Royal Opera house under the baton of Leif Segerstam.
Parallel to his classical interest he has kept well in touch with his jazz roots. Tobias has been featured in many different combos and performs regularly with his trio (guitar, double bass and baritone sax). His other trio with double bass and drums has played at several jazz festivals.
Tobias keen interest in theory has lead him through many books and methods. He is actively studying ´The Schillinger System of Musical Compostion´. At the time of writing he has just formed a new group consisting of two violins, viola, double bass, guitar and recorder. The group will mainly focus on lesser known baroque concertos by the likes of Fasch, Weiss, Biber etc.
In the spring of 2004 Tobias will publish his transcriptions of the lesser known Elizabethan composer Francis Cutting. The edition will be called ´Complete works of Francis Cutting transcribed for guitar´. Many more publications will follow with both transcriptions and original solo guitar music.
Tobias plays Michael Sandén guitars.
Read more on and of Tobias at http://www.tobiasneumann.com
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