Pär Lindh- keyboards
Magdalena Hagberg- vocals
Nisse Bielfeld- drums, percussion and vocals
William Kopecky- bass
Joseph Kopecky- guitar

Pär Lindh's training on piano and organ began early in childhood, also learning drums and percussion. In addition to the classical masters, Lindh's early influences were progressive rock keyboard pioneers Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman. As a teenager in 1978 he joined the heavy-rock band Antenna Baroque as a drummer. The following year he formed a local symphonic rock trio called Vincebus Eruptum, manning the keyboards this time. In 1979, dismayed by its direction, Lindh decided to leave the progressive rock scene altogether and embark on a classical career as pianist and harpsichordist. He moved to France where he resided for almost eight years, studying piano and harpsichord, and performing recitals throughout Europe. Lindh also was a member of the Royal Swedish Chamber Orchestra for four years. He returned to Sweden in 1988 determined to once again take up the banner of progressive rock.

In 1991 Pär Lindh & friends started The Swedish Art Rock Society. The society arranged a festival in the autumn of that year, featuring Anekdoten, Landberk, and the now-legendary Änglagård. With this revitalization of progressive rock in Scandinavia, Lindh began to build his own studio complex on his parents' farm in Enköping, Sweden, collecting a wide range of vintage keyboards. Gothic Impressions was the first record to emerge on the private Crimsonic Label, in 1994. This debut CD showed influences from renaissance music, early baroque, Bach, post-romanticism, avant-garde, impressionism and from the classic symphonic rock bands. The CD received stellar reviews in progressive rock publications worldwide.

In 1995 Nisse Bielfeld (drums), Jocke Ramsell (guitars), Marcus Jäderholm (bass), from the hard rock project R.F.P., became full members of Pär Lindh Project. Magdalena Hagberg, a church-trained alto who had guested on Gothic Impressions, was recruited to fill all the vocal duties. The mini-CD Rondo was released in that year as a brief introduction to the new, steady PLP lineup. Lindh released the Tolkien-influenced album Bilbo in 1996, with guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Björn Johansson, featuring occasional Hagberg vocals.

Offers for numerous live shows started coming in around this time. PLP headlined the 1997 Rio Art Rock Festival, and played other dates in Brazil and Argentina. Late 1997 saw the release of Mundus Incompertus, featuring Lindh's superb keysmanship, Hagberg's stunning vocals, and impressive contributions from the other band members. The concert opener "Baroque Impression No. 1" and the epic 27-minute title suite are highlights from this CD, arguably PLP's best to date.

Pär Lindh Project's first live concerts in the U.S. took place in September 1998, most notably a headline performance at ProgDay '98 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and a cathedral concert in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. PLP again toured the U.S. the following spring, including performances at Progfest '99 in San Francisco, the House of Blues in Chicago, and a church concert in St. Louis. Largely recorded at the ProgDay '98 festival, the 2CD set Live in America was released in summer 1999. This pristinely recorded set captures the instrumental virtuosity and the tremendous energy of a Pär Lindh Project concert, and is an excellent introduction to the band.

The extended '99 tour was too great a strain for the families of Ramsell and Jäderholm, both of whom have resigned as full members of the band. No better replacements could be found for this concert than Bill Kopecky (bass) and Joe Kopecky (guitar). Both superb players, these Wisconsin-based brothers form the progressive rock instrumental trio Kopecky with their other brother Paul (drums). Kopecky is slated to perform at ProgDay 2000 in October.

At the moment the three core members of Pär Lindh Project are recording a new PLP album slated for September 2000 release. Ramsell and Jäderholm will be featured as guest musicians, as well as a choir and orchestra. Lindh is also planning some more classical-oriented releases, including a Piano Concerto.

NEARfest is proud to complete the U.S. prog festival trifecta of this world-class Swedish band. We hope PLP's performance will expose many new ears to their unique, powerful, well-crafted Baroque-influenced symphonic rock.

Discography:

Gothic Impressions (1994)
Rondo (EP, 1995)
Bilbo (with Bjorn Johannson, 1996)
Mundus Incompertus (1997)
Live in America (double disc, 1999)

mailing address: P.O. Box 846, 74526 Enköping, Sweden