About

Øystein Skar is a Norwegian pianist and composer.

Starting classical piano lessons at the age of six, Øystein honed his improvisational and compositional skills under the guidance of Misha Alperin at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where he studied jazz and improvisation. After completing his studies, he spent years touring and recording with various projects and bands, primarily in the realms of jazz and experimental music, before shifting his focus towards experimental electronic music, pop, and studio work.

Skar then spent over a decade in the pop industry, touring extensively around the world with the renowned band Highasakite and earning multiple Norwegian Grammys and platinum albums. He collaborated, toured, and recorded with pop artists like Aurora and Sigrid, as well as key jazz figures such as Jon Eberson. With Highasakite, he sold out the Oslo Spektrum, performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert, and toured alongside bands like Of Monsters and Men and London Grammar. His work has encompassed both national and international projects, contributing to over 40 releases. As a composer, he has collaborated with many of Norway's leading dance and theatre companies, scoring music for television and creating commissioned works.

In 2023, Øystein supported Dutch pianist Joep Beving in Oslo in collaboration with Live Nation, and in 2024, he completed his new album HEM, which means "Home" in his dialect. This album marks his debut as a solo pianist under his own name