Bio/Info
Kristina Olsen (Venice, California, USA & Vancouver, BC, Canada) is one of the most entertaining and compelling performers on the international acoustic circuit. A superb multi-instrumentalist (acoustic guitar, steel-body slide guitar, saxophone, concertina, banjo, mandolin and piano) as well as an award-winning songwriter with a big bluesy voice, Kristina has audiences around the world coming back for more. Her mix of powerful songs ranging from sassy bottleneck blues to lilting ballads to swing jazz to raunch and roll (as well as her hilarious storytelling) makes for a diverse and satisfying musical experience, on stage, on disc and in book.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Haight-Ashbury during the 1960’s, Kristina’s approach to music and life was formed by that environment of vital cultural expression, social activism and diverse musical influences.
Olsen has released thirteen recordings (four on the Philo/Rounder label), a live DVD and an enhanced eBook with music, (They Paid Us in Tub Time). She has collaborated with musicians all over the world, touring with Jez Lowe and James Keelaghan in theThree Nations Tour, creating an album of co-writes with with Canadian jazz guitarist/composer Bill Coon and she has been long time collaborator with Australian cellist Peter Grayling. She has entered a brave new world, neither jazz nor blues nor singer-songwriter. Art music at its best without conforming to expected genres. Fresh, weird, beautiful and familiar all at the same time. Her newest project is developing chorale arrangements of her songs to bring local choirs to her gigs to join her on some selected songs.
Olsen’s songs have been covered by such respected artists as; Eric Bibb, Fairport Convention, Maddy Prior, Mary Coughlan and Mollie O’Brien. Olsen has also worked as a session musician on numerous artist’s albums including playing the hammered dulcimer on Michelle Shocked’s album ‘Short Sharp Shocked’ on PolyGram and touring as Mary Coughlan’s guitarist in 2005. Her song “In Your Darkened Room” was used in the film “We’ll Always Have Dingle”, a documentary about an Irish Film Festival. Olsen has performed as a multi-instrumentalist in plays for the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles’ Music Center. Olsen won the Kerrville Song writing award her song for battered women, ‘I’m Keeping This Life of Mine’
Olsen is the modern day troubadour, touring up to ten months a year. She regularly tours to Australia, Scotland, England, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. In more exotic locations, she has performed concerts in Bangladesh, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and once caught a snowmobile drawn sled over a frozen lake to a concert in Aleknagik, Alaska. Olsen has been part of a songwriters’ group for over four decades and has taught songwriting, slide guitar, multiple guitar classes and dance for musicians at adult music camps from Alaska to NYC to the UK to Australia for over twenty years. Olsen is a frequent contributor to Acoustic Guitar magazine, writing articles on guitar and performance technique. Olsen graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2020 with a dual major in guitar and orchestration/arranging.