Moa Danielson

Moa Danielson, born in Stockholm, Sweden, began her musical education in Western classical piano during early childhood. She pursued formal training in music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.

In 1999, she discovered Indian classical music and dedicated herself to its study. Moa studied tabla in Varanasi under Sudip Kumar Bhattacharya and Kishore Kumar Mishra of the Varanasi Gharana for 12 years. In 2015, she began learning the santoor from Shivaji Rao Kevale in Varanasi. Three years later, in 2018, she was accepted as a student by Pandit Bhajan Sopori, the head of the Sufiyana Gharana of santoor. Guided by him, Moa began playing the Sopori style of santoor, an instrument featuring sympathetic and mir strings with a complex tuning system offering vast musical possibilities.

In addition to her work in Indian classical music, Moa has been active for many years as a drum and percussion player, specializing in Balkan music. She has performed with the group Lele Lele Orchestra, among others. With more than 25 years of experience as a freelance musician, she has collaborated with numerous artists and toured extensively across Europe and Asia.

Moa is also a composer, cultural producer, and artistic director. She is one of the founders of the Stockholm Sangeet Festival, Scandinavia's largest festival for South Asian music and dance.

For more information, visit www.moadanielson.se.