ABOUT
MARIA WINTHER is a Swedish singer and songwriter based in Stockholm.
Winther’s musical world is shaped by a curiosity for sounds, words and atmospheres. She is fascinated by the unexpected, by the journey, by simplicity and repetition, where subtle movements bring about profound changes. With a particular affinity for the lyrical and poetic, she is driven by music’s ability to move and transform.
In her creative work, Winther seeks an intuitive and open approach. Form and structure provide a framework, but it is through presence, listening and what unfolds in the moment that the music takes on a life of its own.
Winther made her album debut in 2006 with Dreamsville, a collaboration with pianist and composer Gösta Rundqvist. Since then, she has been involved in a wide range of musical projects.
In the project Outline, she collaborates with the New York-based duo For Living Lovers, featuring guitarist and composer Brandon Ross and bassist Stomu Takeishi. The project emerged from a personal exploration of spirituality and music’s ability to transcend cultural and religious definitions. The name Outlinesuggests a contour left open for the listener to fill in.
Together with pianist and songwriter Sara Skoglund, Winther forms the duo East of Someday. They have released the EP Song to a Lion(2018) and the singles “Free” and “Where to Go” (2020).
From 2014 to 2026, Winther was a member of the jazz vocal group Stockholm Voices. The group has performed at jazz clubs and concert halls throughout Sweden and released the albums Come Rain or Come Shine(2015), New Horizon(2023) and the Christmas album Christmas Time Is Here, the latter in collaboration with Bohuslän Big Band.
Over the years, Maria Winther has collaborated with artists and ensembles including Bohuslän Big Band, Göteborg Wind Orchestra, Blue House Orchestra, Isabella Lundgren, Jojje Wadenius, Peter Asplund, Sinne Eeg, Samuel Ljungblahd, Lena Willemark and Babben Larsson.
OUTLINE
I took the bus crosstown from Columbus Circle to the Upper East Side one weekend every month for my “Master in Spiritual Science” at the University of Santa Monica. I can't describe exactly what I learned, but I can say that it changed me forever. It is often said that if you can describe God, then God does not exist.
The same could be said of our inner lives. Some experiences are difficult to put into words, perhaps because they exist beyond the realm of the mind.
One day, during our lunch break, we ended up in a small cafe with posters of jazz musicians covering the walls. Next to the counter stood a bookshelf. My friend Ron had previously told me about the Sufi poet Jalal-ad-din Rumi, whose poetry had become increasingly popular in the US after 9/11 - a guardian of the fragile bridge that reunited the Middle East and the West in a sign of love.
Among the books on the shelf was a collection of Rumi's poetry. I opened it and felt a wind go through my body as if in a big breath. Ron bought me the book as a gift.
My first composition for Outline was based on a poem by Rumi. I cannot explain the divine, but I think I can see a contour. Outline.
Maria Winther - vocals
Brandon Ross - guitars
Stomu Takeishi - acoustic bass guitar
Recorded by Jeff Haynes, NY
Recorded by Jack McKeever at The Maid's Room, NYC
Mixed by Nick Lloyd at Firehouse 12, CT
Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtle Tone Studios, NYC
Artwork by Lyn Treloar
Release December 1st 2023, Firecracker Music
ÅRETS VINTERGÄST I SR 2023/24!
Jag har fått äran att prata om musik och inspiration i Sveriges Radio, Jazzradion.
Roligt uppdrag att få prata om musik som inspirerat, hur livets vindlande bana format den musiker och människa man är idag genom möten med människor, mentorer och framför allt musikens egen kraft.
Ser mycket fram emot skön lyssning på både julafton och nyårsafton av mina fina sångarvänner Claes Janson och Lina Nyberg! Mitt program avslutar serien på trettondagen.
24 december: Claes Janson
31 december: Lina Nyberg
7 januari: Maria Winther
SR:
De tre jazzsångarna berättar i varsitt program om sina inspirationskällor och karriärer, och spelar låtarna som har haft extra stor betydelse.
Avsnitten sänds i Jazzradion söndagar 17.00 och finns att höra i Sveriges Radio Play.