Norwegian clarinetist, conductor, composer, Yamaha and Vandoren artist Erlend Eide is one of our most versatile musicians and is active as both a classical, jazz- and folk music clarinetist. The jazz bands Brexology and Erlend Eide Quartet, classical duo with Margaret Stachiewicz and world music project Yrjar Collective are permanent active constellations. Erlend was a founding member of the world music band Yggdrasil releasing Herrelaus in 1998, and he formed the Brekstad Music Festival in 2002. He is actively involved in shedding light on the Norwegian, partially lost, clarinet folk music tradition.

Erlend was born at Brekstad in 1971 and grew up surrounded by fighters in the sky, classical, jazz, pop and folk music. He played the piano with his mother, Ellen, from the age of four, and around the age of five, his stepfather, professional pianist Aage Lade, came into his life, literally boosting the little boy’s musical development. Erlends biological father was the late drummer Torbjørn “Pluggen” Johansen, so he actually had three parents who were involved in music.

He played the violin from the age of seven and clarinet some months at the age of nine, but focused mainly on the piano. At the age of nine he performed Haydn’s Piano concerto in C major with the local orchestra. He had always had a very easy time playing by ear and couldn’t really read music very well until a few years later, so Aage taught him the Haydn concerto by heart so he could perform it with the orchestra.

Just a few months later, the summer of 1981, the family moved to Sykkylven, Aages home municipality, and Erlend started to play clarinet in the local school band. In rural areas, there was usually no access to professional clarinet teachers, so development eventually did not proceed as quickly as it did on the piano.

The rich Norwegian band movement came to aid. From the age of thirteen he participated annually in the summer band camps in Ørsta and clarinet became his main focus during middle school. He moved back to Trondheim at sixteen to enter the music department of Heimdal High School. In Trondheim he was (finally) taught by clarinetist Knut Lauritzen, and spent his high school years becoming a better clarinetist than a pianist. Margaret Stachiewicz was his piano secondary instrument teacher.

He studied clarinet with Lars Kristian Brynildsen at the Grieg Academy in Bergen (1991-1995) and a final year with Thomas Norup Jensen at the NTNU Institute of Music in Trondheim (1995/96). During the years in Bergen he played his first duo concert with Margaret (1992) and he met Elisabeth Vannebo and they founded Yggdrasil (1993).