Bio - CV

Sara Parkman is a folk musician known to both question and embrace traditions in such an unabashed and simultaneously thoughtful way, that one could say that she has created her own musical universe - and that by doing so, she has become the great poster name of contemporary Swedish folk music. Thanks to her three acclaimed solo albums, it is to be expected since same time that one can hear her music pulsate from foggy depths of Nordic forests during nocturnal rave parties - and equally expected to see her perform live in popular TV programs.

Sara Parkman

Sara Parkman is a folk musician, composer, violinist, and the child of a priest since three generations. Her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Sara Parkmans skog’ (Sara Parkmans forest) was released in 2016, with the music being described as a web of poetry, dirt roads, 80’s synthesizers, forest dreams, and flowing violins.

In 2017 Parkman won the Artist of the Year-prize at the Gala for Folk and World Music in Sweden, where her album ‘Matriarkerna’ won the Album of the Year-prize in 2018. In 2019 she received the Activist Prize from SKAP - The Swedish Society of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. She has collaborated with artists such as Fever Ray, Bob Hund, and Silvana Imam.

Sara Parkman’s second solo album ‘Vesper’ is named after the Latin word for evening prayers. The album was created together with the producer Hampus Norén who also produced ‘Sara Parkmans Skog’. The list of guest musicians on the new album includes Mats Edén, Maija Kauhanen, Selen Özan, Xenia Kriisin, and the priest and dad Lasse Parkman.

Vesper is a continuance and a flow that builds upon the tracks that Sara’s crafted during the last years. It is an album about inner rooms, doubts, and the radicality of believing in something. What do we find when we glance into our own heritage, and understand that it’s impossible to be culturally neutral? Through ‘Vesper’ Sara digs into the dirt where her foremothers and fathers stood – near the church. Christianity has existed in the Parkman family for several generations, just like socialism has. Here, the cultural as well as the musical heritage are explored and interpreted through distorted pedal organs, choirs, minimalism, and eternity-polskas.

Vesper is and provides an echo across generational borders, national borders, and belief system-borders. Vesper is the heart that grows when everyone sings along to "There can be miracles" at the local karaoke bar.

CV

Education

• Roy​al College of Music in Stockholm, Bachelor in fine arts​ from the folk music department 2011-2014

• Musikkonservatoriet, Falun, 2009-2010

• Malungs Folkhögskola 2008-2009

Projects in selection

• Nationalparken/ Riksteatern/ 2019

Manuscript, music, performed on stage. Played 60 times all around Sweden.

• Fäboland/ Riksteatern/ 2016-2017

  Manuscript, music, performed on stage.
  Played 60 times all around Sweden.
  Selected to play at the Swedish biennale for performance art 2017.

• Sång till välfärden/ Riksteatern / 2018

  Wrote manuscript and music for an ensemble and 20 choirs who participated in the tour. Toured all around Sweden and played 25 times in different venues.

• Matriarkerna w. Samantha Ohlanders/ Kakafon records/ 2017

  Traditional swedish folk music with Lena Willemark, Susanne Rosenberg, Ellika Frisell, Marie Selander and Agneta Stolpe as guests. Album of the year Swedish Folk and world music Award, 2018.

• Sara Parkmans Skog / Hybris records 2016

  A record that combines traditional folk music with contemporary soundscapes. Widely spread and received great reviews by the music critics.

• Ställbergs gruva/ The non existent center 2011-

  Part of the art group that runs the work in the old mine in Ställerg. Curates festivals, residencies, exhibitions and works with questions about rurality, anti- capitalism and contemporary art in an old industry village. 

Radio

• Sommar i P1/ Swedish Radio 2018

  Host for the biggest summer radio show in Sweden.

• Heliga hits/ Swedish Radio / 2012-2014

  Four documentaries about music and religion for P2 Swedish Radio.

• Kalejdoskop i P2 / Swedish Radio 2017

• 120 minutes Mix tape for P2 Swedish Radio

Tours

• Toured since 2005 with different band, projects and performances.

  Have toured in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, France, Switserland, Germany, USA, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Estonia, Serbia.

• Selected venues

  Swedish national touring theathre, La Mutinerie Paris, The royal music academy, Dramaten, Swedish institute in Paris, Gröna Lund, Moderna museet, BeFem festival Belgrad, FolkMix Skåne, Scenkonst Sörmland, Swedish church, Kulturhuset Stockholm, Urkult, Zimfebi culture festival Zimbabwe, Landstinget Västernorrland, Sápmi Pride, Popkollo, Cinema Queer International Film Festival, Nordic Arts Alliance, North Dakota, USA, Stallet folk och världsmusik, Folkmusikens hus i Rättvik, Scenkonstbolaget Västernorrland, BSQD, New York, Ethno Paris.

Score for film

• Kevlar, Tuna Özer, 2018

• En bra vecka för demokratin Cecilia Björk, 2018

• Amatörer Gabriella Pichler 2018

• Nationens hjärta Mikael Wiström 2017

• Mephobia, Mika Gustafsson, 2017

• Supervention II Jan Petter Aarskog, 2016

Artistic Collaborations in selection 

• Fever Ray/ Plunge / 2018  - Plays the violin on the song Red Trails

• Edith Hammar,  bob hund, Silvana Imam, Frida Hyvönen, Seinabo Sey, Sankt Göran, David Väyrynen

Grants and awards

• STIM-stipendiet för komponister 2019

• Diakité och Sachs stipendium 2019

• STIM-stipendiet för komponister, 2018

• SKAP ́s aktivistpris, 2018

• Helge Ax:on Jonsson kulturfond, 2018

• Längmanska kulturfonden, 2018

• Pelle Molins stipendium, 2018

• Johan Nordlanderstipendiet, 2018

• Artist of the year Swedish Folk and world music Award, 2017

• Konstnärsnämndens arbetsstipendium, 2017

• Parkmanstipendiet, Uppsala länsmusik, 2016

• Konstnärsnämndens projektbidrag, 2015

• STIM-stipendiet för komponister, 2014

• Västernorrlands Kulturstipendium, 2014

• Kungl. Musikaliska Akademins studentstipendium, 2014

• Fredrika Bremerförbundets stipendium, 2012

• Hugo Alfvénstipendiet, Kungl. Musikaliska akademin 2010