Open String Department - All In (2023) [Hi-Res]

Magnus Wiik is a musician based in Oslo. Originally a guitarist, he now works just as much as a piano, banjo, mandolin and dobro-player. Magnus cut his teeth on rock and metal in his teens, before finding his way into jazz and improvisation in high-school. At the same time he discovered Irish folk music and bluegrass, and fell head over heels in love with both traditions.

Magnus has studied at both the jazz conservatory in Trondheim (taking a bachelor in jazz guitar) and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo (taking a master in performing jazz and improvised music). Prior to his studies he attended the Banff Int. Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music, which had a profound impact on him as a musician. Along with the formal education Magnus has done a lot of traveling seeking tuition and immersion in different traditions, leading to a number of trips to Ireland and USA, and a single (so far) trip to India. What characterizes Magnus as a musician is a curiousity and a stubborn persistance to learn new things.

Down the line Magnus has been touring extensively in Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Japan and Canada. He has performed in festivals all over Europe as well as in Tunisia and USA and recorded for BBC and NRK. He has been privileged to work with renowned musicians such as Stian Carstensen, Ola Kvernberg, Gerry O'Connor, Tony O'Connell, Shantala Subramaniam, Jake Jolliff, Alexandra Grimal and Wes Corbett to name a few. He has made seven albums as a leader or co-leader, six of which heavily features him as a composer also. He has also done a fair share of sideman-work and appears on a number of records as well as music for movies and games. In 2015 Magnus received Geir Digernes' Memorial Prize for his work as a musician.