Welcome to the official website of Mathias Heise, Danish jazz harmonica player, keyboardist, composer, and arranger.
Flux – Mathias Heise and accordeonist Bjarke Mogensen
“With instruments that rarely converge, two geniuses make everything soar. The new album from a duo who playfully explore jazz and classical origins is excellent. ”
Thomas Michelsen, Politiken
Mouth Games – Mathias Heise Quintet
“There is something about the connection with breath and lips that – at least in Heise’s case – creates moments of otherworldly beauty.”
Jørgen Nielsen, All That…
Mathias Heise is one of the world’s leading harmonica players. He was born in 1993 in Rødovre, just outside Copenhagen, Denmark, and started playing harmonica at the age of seven. A few years later he also took up piano and keyboards.
Albums
So far, Mathias Heise has released six albums in his own name.
With Bjarke Mogensen:
Flux(2024)
With Mathias Heise Quintet:
Mouth Games(2023)
With Mathias Heise Quadrillion:
Quadrillion (2022)
Decadence (2017)
Sudden Ascent (2015)
With DR Big Band:
The Beast (2018)
Awards and nominations
2013: Chromatic Harmonica World Championship, Trossingen, Germany.
2015: New Jazz Star of The Year, Denmark.
2015: Mathias Heise Quadrillion nominated ‘Best New Jazz Act’ at Danish Jazz Awards.
2016: The Danish Crown Prince Couple’s Stardust Award – an award that is given to honor and highlight young Danish artists about to make an international break-through.
2017: The Ben Webster Prize, as the youngest recipient ever.
2018: The Danish Arts Foundation’s award presented to artists “who have created a work of particularly high artistic quality” (for his album with DR Big Band The Beast).
2019: The Beast nominated ‘Album of the year’ at Danish Jazz Awards.
2019: The Hartmann Diploma-Prize awarded to younger persons who are “expected to contribute to a continuously positive development of the Danish society”.
2024: Mouth Games nominated ‘Album of the year’ at Danish Jazz Awards.
Selected discography as a sideman
| I Made it Out | Martin Ljungblahd | 2024 |
| Sweet Dreams | Kristin Korb | 2024 |
| Le Grand Michel | Vivian Buczek | 2024 |
| A Tribute to Paco de Lucia | Flamenco Passion | 2023 |
| Album for Astor | Bjarke Mogensen | 2022 |
| Dreamcatcher 3.0 | Dreamcatcher 3.0 | 2021 |
| What If? | Kristin Korb | 2021 |
| Swan Songs | Jørgen Emborg | 2020 |
| Æ | Anton Eger | 2019 |
| Natsværmeri | Bent Fabricius-Bjerre & Livestrings | 2018 |
| What’s Left | Jørgen Emborg Quartet | 2017 |
| Cleo and friends | Georg Wadenius | 2016 |
| Star Eyes | Morten Elbek | 2016 |
| Out Of The White | Martin Fabricius Trio | 2014 |
Mathias Heise is nothing short of fantastic.
As a musician, as a composer, as an arranger and as an entertainer.
– Henrik Palle, Politiken
Mathias Heise is a true virtuoso on his instrument.
– Kenth K. Nielsen, bibzoom.dk
Heise may be the world’s best jazz musician on the chromatic harmonica.
– Henrik Palle, Politiken
Mathias Heise is utterly unique on his chromatic harmonica.
– Ivan Rod, Gaffa
Listen up! You have never heard anyone play the harmonica like this guy. Mathias Heise is breathing new life into Danish jazz.
– Finn Frandsen, Heidi Skibsted and Aske Hald Knudstrup, Politiken
Harmonica virtuoso Mathias Heise,
one of the greatest talents in Danish jazz in many years.
– Niels Overgård, Jazznyt.com
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