Jon Christensen
Jon Ivar Christensen (20 March 1943 – 18 February 2020) was a Norwegian jazz drummer. He was married to actress, minister, and theater director Ellen Horn, and was the father of singer and actress Emilie Stoesen Christensen.
Jon Christensen

Tore Sætre · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Jon Christensen
- Birth Name
- Jon Ivar Christensen
- Born
- 20 March 1943
- Birthplace
- Oslo, Norway
- Died
- 17 February 2020
- Occupation
- Musician, composer
- Full name
- Jon Ivar Christensen.
- Nationality
- Norway.
- Fields
- percussion instrument.
- Honours
- Spellemann Award for jazz record of the year and Buddyprisen.
- Languages
- Norwegian.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Jon Ivar Christensen (20 March 1943 – 18 February 2020) was a Norwegian jazz drummer. He was married to actress, minister, and theater director Ellen Horn, and was the father of singer and actress Emilie Stoesen Christensen.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Jon Christensen (1943–2020) was a drummer, jazz musician and musician, among other activities, of Norwegian nationality. The drummer was born Jon Ivar Christensen in Oslo and died in Sagene.
Jon Christensen was a member of The Dream. Activity centred on percussion instrument.
The work spans jazz. Languages used include Norwegian. Honours include Buddyprisen and Spellemann Award for jazz record of the year.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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- resolved
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Authority files
wikidata · Q662607
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jon Christensen • Landscape — yes • Birth Name — Jon Ivar Christensen • Born — 20 March 1943 • Birthplace — Oslo, Norway • Died — 17 February 2020 • Place of death — Oslo, Norway • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer • Instrument — Drums • Illustration — Jon Christensen in Aarhus, Denmark, 2015 • Illustration — Norwegian-Polish project Nor Pol Bridge in concert at the Polish Radio studio in Warsaw, Poland - January 2011.
Career
Career
In the late 1960s, Christensen played alongside Jan Garbarek on several recordings by the composer George Russell. He also was a central participant in the jazz band Masqualero, with Arild Andersen, and they reappeared in 2003 for his 60th anniversary. He appears on many recordings on the ECM label with such artists as Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal, Bobo Stenson, Eberhard Weber, Ralph Towner, including the seminal 1975 Solstice, Barre Phillips, Arild Andersen, Enrico Rava, John Abercrombie, Michael Mantler, Miroslav Vitous, Rainer Brüninghaus, Charles Lloyd, Dino Saluzzi Jakob Bro, and Tomasz Stanko. Christensen was a member of the Keith Jarrett "European Quartet" of the 1970s, along with Jan Garbarek and Palle Danielsson, which produced five jazz recordings on ECM Records. Christensen died on 18 February 2020, at the age of 76.
As leader
As leader
• 1976: No Time for Time (Pan)
As sideman
As sideman
• With Yelena Eckemoff • 2015: Everblue (L&H Production) • 2020: Nocturnal Animals (L&H Production) • With George Russell • 1967: The Essence of George Russell (Soul Note) • 1969: Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature (Flying Dutchman) • 1970: Trip to Prillarguri (Soul Note) • 1971: Listen to the Silence (Soul Note) • With Lee Konitz, Pony Poindexter, Phil Woods and Leo Wright • 1968: Alto Summit (MPS) • With Steve Kuhn • 1968: Watch What Happens! (MPS) • With Jan Garbarek • 1969: Esoteric Circle (Flying Dutchman) • 1970: Afric Pepperbird (ECM) • 1971: Sart (ECM) • 1973: Witchi-Tai-To (ECM) • 1975: Dansere (ECM) • 1975: Ingentings Bjeller (Polydor) • 1978: Photo with Blue Sky, White Cloud, Wires, Windows and a Red Roof (ECM) • 1980: Paths, Prints (ECM) • With Jakob Bro • 2015: Gefion (ECM) • 2018: Returnings (ECM) • With Bobo Stenson • 1971: Underwear (ECM) • 1996: Reflections (ECM) • 1997: War Orphans (ECM) • 1999: Serenity (ECM) • With Terje Rypdal • 1971: Terje Rypdal (ECM) • 1973: What Comes After (ECM) • 1974: Whenever I Seem to Be Far Away (ECM) • 1995: Skywards (ECM) • 2003: Vossabrygg (ECM) • With Ketil Bjørnstad • 1973: Åpning (Philips) • 1990: The Shadow (Kirkelig Kulturverksted) • 1993: Water Stories (ECM) • 1994: The Sea (ECM) • 1996: The Sea II (ECM) • 2009: Remembrance (ECM) • With Keith Jarrett • 1974: Belonging (ECM) • 1977: My Song (ECM) • 1979: Personal Mountains (ECM) • 1979: Nude Ants (ECM) • 1979: Sleeper (ECM) • With Ralph Towner • 1974: Solstice (ECM) • 1977: Solstice/Sound and Shadows (ECM) • 1995: Lost and Found (ECM) • With Karin Krog, Steve Kuhn and Steve Swallow • 1975: We Could Be Flying (Polydor, 1975) • With Eberhard Weber • 1975: Yellow Fields (ECM, 1975) • With Enrico Rava • 1975: The Pilgrim and the Stars (ECM, 1975) • 1976: The Plot (ECM, 1976) • With Radka Toneff Quintet • 1977: Winter Poem (Zarepta) • With Terje Rypdal and Palle Mikkelborg • 1977: Waves (ECM) • 1979: Descendre (ECM) • With Masqualero (Arild Andersen) • 1983: Masqualero (Odin) • 1986: Bande a Part (ECM) • 1988: Aero (ECM) • 1989: Re-Enter (ECM) • With Blow Out • 1977: Blow Out (Compendium) • With Miroslav Vitous • 1979: First Meeting (ECM) • 1980: Miroslav Vitous Group (ECM) • 1982: Journey's End (ECM) • With Rainer Brüninghaus • 1980: Freigeweht (ECM) • With Mike Nock • 1981: Ondas (ECM) • With John Clark, David Friedman and David Darling • 1981: Faces (ECM) • With Harry Pepl and Herbert Joos • 1988: Cracked Mirrors (ECM) • With Lillebjørn Nilsen, Arild Andersen, Eivind Aarset, Jan Erik Kongshaug • 1988: Sanger (Grappa) • With John Abercrombie • 1989: Animato (ECM) • With Charles Lloyd • 1989: Fish Out of Water (ECM) • With L. Shankar • 1989: M.R.C.S. (ECM) • With Sidsel Endresen • 1990: So I Write (ECM) • With Knut Riisnæs • 1992: Knut Riisnæs - Jon Christensen Featuring John Scofield - Palle Danielsson (Odin) • With Anouar Brahem • 1994: Khomsa (ECM) • With Misha Alperin • 1996: North Story (ECM) • With Lars Danielsson, David Liebman and Bobo Stenson • 1997: Live at Visiones (Dragon) • With Tomasz Stańko • 1997: Litania: Music of Krzysztof Komeda (ECM) • 1998: From the Green Hill (ECM) • With Dino Saluzzi • 2002: Senderos (ECM) • With Jacob Young • Evening Falls (ECM, 2004) • Sideways (ECM, 2008) • With Carsten Dahl and Arild Andersen • 2006: Short Fairytales (EmArcy) • 2012: Space Is the Place (Storyville) • With Carl Petter Opsahl and Tord Gustavsen • 2008: Love, the Blues (Park Grammofon) • With Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Håkon Kornstad • 2011: Mitt Hjerte Altid Vanker – I Live at Oslo Jazzfestival (Compunctio) • 2011: Mitt Hjerte Altid Vanker – II Live at Uppsala Sacred Music Festival (Compunctio)
Identity
Identity
Jon Christensen is recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Recorded with the occupation percussionist. Recorded with the occupation drummer. Classed in the genre jazz. Recorded as percussionist, musician and drummer. Recorded at birth as Jon Ivar Christensen. Identity and origins. His recorded language was Norwegian. He married Ellen Horn. One child is recorded: Emilie Stoesen Christensen.

Jon Christensen recieving the Ella award from Oslo Jazzfestival. The event was part of Oslo Jazzfestival and took place on 12. August 2018 in Oslo.
Tore Sætre

Jon Christensen with Stenson/Christensen/Ljungkvist in Energimølla. The concert was part of Kongsberg Jazzfestival and took place on 07. July 2018 in Kongsberg.
Tore Sætre
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1943
Jon Christensen was born on 20 March 1943.
2020
Jon Christensen died on 18 February 2020.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Jon Christensen was born at Oslo.
Birthplace
Jon Christensen died at Sagene.
Deathplace
Oslo.
Birth place
Sagene.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q662607: Jon Christensen
Unverified · Wikidata
Honors
• Jazznytt musician poll, 1967 • Buddyprisen, Norwegian Jazz Forum, 1967 • Drummer of the Year, European Jazz Federation, 1975 • Spellemannprisen, 1977 • Spellemannprisen, three times with Masqualero, 1983, 1986 and 1991
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Grønneberg, Anders. Jon Christensen er død. Dagbladet.no. 18 February 2020.
- 2.Jon Christensen - Listen to Norway. Listento.no.
- 3.Jon Christensen Biography - SNL.no. 25 February 2020.
- 4.Say and Play - ECM Jon Balke Batagraf ECMrecords.com.
- 5.Jon Christensen fyller 60 - og Masqualero gjenforenes Ballade.no.
- 6.Andy Gregory. International Who's Who in Popular Music. Routledge (UK). 2002. 978-1-85743-161-2.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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