Meet Winnie Dahlgren: A native of Denmark Winnie Dahlgren started playing percussion at age fifteen, and received both her B.M. in music education and her M.M. in Performance from the Vestjysk Academy of Music in Esbjerg, Denmark. In the middle of her classical studies at the conservatory she took two years off to study jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1996 she returned to Berklee College of Music from which she received a bachelor's degree in jazz composition and performance in 1997. She has since performed in both jazz and classical settings, with concerts in Europe, the United States, and Southern Africa. Dahlgren has surrounded herself with musicians from all over the world which allows her to swiftly move between the different styles, with styles ranging from classical to jazz, Latin and world music, and still retain their authenticity. The Winnie Dahlgren Quintet was in March 2004 on tour in Denmark performing concerts and workshops. During this time Winnie also recorded with the British singer Leo Sayer, for his latest CD.

In May 2007, Winnie went on tour to Mozambique, South East Africa, with her quintet to perform concerts and workshops. A project that will continue in May 2011.

Instrument(s):

Vibes (mallets, total percussion).

Teachers and/or influences? The main reason I became a musician is thanks to my very first percussion teacher, who also happened to become my private teacher throughout my time at the conservatory back home in Denmark. After my first month studying total percussion in high school, she asked me if I had ever thought about becoming a musician?

Venturing into the world of jazz music, my first influence was