About

Øystein Skar is an award-winning Norwegian pianist and composer.

Starting classical piano lessons at the age of six, Øystein honed his improvisational and compositional skills under the guidance of his mentor, the legendary ECM pianist 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 several of Norway’s top artists and musicians, primarily in the realms of jazz, contemporary, and experimental music, before shifting his focus towards electronic music and studio work.

Skar then spent over a decade in the pop industry, touring extensively around the world with the renowned pop band Highasakite and earning multiple Norwegian Grammys and platinum albums. With Highasakite, he sold out Oslo Spektrum, performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, and toured alongside bands such as Of Monsters and Men and London Grammar. During the same period, he also collaborated and recorded with pop artists such as Aurora and Sigrid, as well as key jazz figures like Per Zanussi, Jon Eberson, and Per Oddvar Johansen.

In 2023, Skar supported Dutch pianist Joep Beving in Oslo in collaboration with Live Nation. The following year, he released his debut solo piano album Hem, meaning "home" in his local dialect, on the Canadian instrumental label Moderna Records. The album received glowing reviews in the international press and gained significant radio play on stations such as KEXP and ByteFM. Skar performed the album live across Europe, including live appearances on Germany’s Radio Eins and Deutschlandfunk Kultur, and celebrated the release with a concert at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, followed by a solo piano tour in Norway.

As a composer, Skar has collaborated for years with Norway’s leading dance and theatre companies, composed music for television, and created numerous commissioned works. He has received several grants and awards in Norway for his contributions. As part of the acclaimed production Utafor at The Norwegian Theatre, he contributed to winning two Hedda Awards, the most prestigious theatre prize in Norway, honoring outstanding artistic achievements on stage.

In the fall of 2025, he will release the EP Stories for A, a deeply personal work dedicated to his daughter.

"The piece stands as testimony to what becomes possible when an artist, after years of outward exploration, turns the compass needle inward, toward the territories of the heart."
— Headphone Commute

"A former student of the legendary Misha Alperin at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Skar demonstrates a masterful control of form, dynamics, and detail throughout the record."
— Modern Classical Music Magazine

"In such a well-ordered home, it’s easy to feel welcome!"
— Kulturnews

"The musician, born in 1985, thus succeeds in creating an atmospheric, captivating work that fascinates."
— Radio Eins

"His piano tones have a calming effect, like snowflakes you watch falling – safely from the inside."
— AUDIO & Stereoplay Magazine

"A tender, close mic’d solo piano that leads off the album and sets the tone for a beautiful listening experience."
— Stationary Travels