Gunhild Carling

A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist known as “the Wonder Woman of Jazz” and “Sweden’s Queen of Swing,” Swedish-born, Northern California-based artist Gunhild Carling is “a shimmering presence, and she performs with vivacious flair and boldness” (Arts News).

Winner of Sweden’s Louis Armstrong Scholarship in 1985 when she was ten, Carling made her recording debut with her family band the same year and demonstrated an early preternatural talent for multiple instruments including trombone, trumpet, drums, bagpipes, recorder, banjo, ukulele, and harp. 

She participated in multiple official celebrations honoring Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and is known to American audiences for her work with New York pianist Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox project that reimagines modern pop hits as Swing Era tunes from the 1920s and 1930s – a period that has special resonance for her and informs much of her work.

Carling has recorded a succession of albums with her family and her own big band, and her YouTube videos have received over 50 million views. She has appeared at TEDxArendal, on Dancing with the Stars and America’s Got Talent, and on concert stages all over the world. Broadway World describes her performances this way: “With frontwoman Carling leading the way, the entire family of musicians, singers, dancers, and more (even juggling) presents a nightclub experience that defies description.”