Anna-Lena Laurin was born in Halmstad in 1962. She began her professional musical career as a pianist and singer in different jazz ensembles, but nowadays works exclusively as a composer.
Anna-Lena Laurin is influenced by composers and musicians of many different genres and époques and have made many compositions mixing different genres such as Hope (2008) for string orchestra, trumpet and jazz group. Iphigenia (2009) for symphony orchestra and improvising jazz soloists and Colours (1997) concert for trumpet, jazz trumpet, chamber choir and jazz group. Her purely art-music works in the chamber music genre, for example, include the much-publicised works String Quartet No 1 (2004) and Autumn Fields (2008) for violin and piano.
More original premieres are lined up for the coming years, including Iphigenia, commissioned by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra which will have its world premiere at the Stockholm Concert Hall on April 20, 2011. The Painter for solo trumpet, jazz trio and orchestra - world premiere on October 28, 2010 by the Norrlandsoperan orchestra and trumpeter Anders Bergcrantz - and Concerto for Flute, Strings and Harp, world premiere on January 2011 by the chamber ensemble Camerata Nordica and flutist Magnus Båge.
Specific for her music is that much different kind of people - listeners, musicians, conductors, reviewers and orchestras really love it. It is easy to listen to but also very complex.
Anna-Lena Laurin likes to work face-to-face with musicians like Håkan Hardenberger, Anders Bergcrantz (trumpet), Jacob Karlzon (piano), ensembles, and orchestras such as Musica Vitae and the Malmö Opera Orchestra.
She is at the moment composing for pianist Martin Sturfält- world premiere in Italy 2010. She is also writing for Li Biao Percussion Group – a piece which will have its world premiere in Beijing at the National Center of Performing Arts and a following China tour to Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou and also Genoa, Italy. She is planning to cooperate with conductors Christian Lindberg, Paul Mägi, Jonathan Shiffman and other great soloists and orchestras.
Laurin has achieved a number of grants, prizes and overwhelming reviews and also appreciation from the Swedish Queen Silvia for her book; Sång till mormor.