Born on October 19, 1962 in Oslo, Norway, Bendik Hofseth is jazz saxophonist, vocalist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. He first came to prominence in 1987 when he replaced Michael Brecker in the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead. Hofseth grew up in Lørenskog, Norway and first started studying piano before switching to guitar and then finally settling on the clarinet and saxophone. In the early-to-mid-1980s, he began his career as a sideman, appearing on albums by Bjorn Eidsvag, Lakki Patey, Maj Britt Andersen, and Pal Thowsen. He relocated to New York in 1987 and joined Steps Ahead, which was a surprise to the band’s many fans. As a member of Steps Ahead, he toured the world and recorded two albums with the band: NYC (1989) and Yin-Yang (1992). Living in the U.S. for five years, he also worked as a freelance sideman while also working on his debut as a leader. In 1991, he released his first solo album, IX. He moved back to Oslo, Norway in order to focus on his own career. His second album, Amuse Yourself, was released in 1993 followed by Metamorphoses (1995), Planets, Rivers and… Ikea (1996), Colours (1997), Ludo (1997), and Smilets Historie (1999). He also became active with other projects including collaborations with John McLaughlin, Andy Summers, Django Bates, Tony Levin, Rickie Lee Jones and many others. His recording career continued into the millennium with albums such as Itaka (2005), XI (2009), The Maze (2016), and Atonement (2018). He also became a music instructor at Agder University College, where he developed a course in Music Management.
