Simon Ljungman

“For me, music and play have always been closely connected. I like how the English word ‘play’ captures both.”

Guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, bandleader and choir director. And everything in between. Musical polymath Simon Ljungman defies easy categorisation. His many roles now also include Artistic Development Director at Vara Concert Hall, a position he took up in November 2025. Many associate him with Håkan Hellström’s band, where he is bandleader and guitarist, or with Augustifamiljen, the house band on the television quiz show På spåret for ten years.

Motivation

Musician Simon Ljungman is a man of many talents: musician, bandleader, arranger, conductor and choir director. Many know him from Augustifamiljen, the house band on the television programme På spåret for ten years, or as a member of Håkan Hellström’s band, where he has played for almost two decades. For Kärlek skonar ingen, the musical based on Håkan Hellström’s music, Simon Ljungman served as musical director.

Simon Ljungman has collaborated with a number of leading ensembles and artists. Among other projects, he has reinterpreted Mozart’s Requiem for his own orchestra SeLest and led Fartygsorkestern in En kväll med Mikael Wiehes sånger at Stora Teatern.

For his musical insight and unique ability to bring together musicians and genres from widely different traditions in new and original projects, Simon Ljungman is awarded a 2026 scholarship from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.