Marius Neset (born 2 January 1985 in Os, Hordaland) is a Norwegian saxophonist and composer based in Copenhagen, widely regarded as one of the leading jazz voices in Europe. He broke through with Golden Xplosion (2011) on Edition Records and has since built a discography that spans intimate quintet jazz and large-scale orchestral commissions - including several works for the London Sinfonietta, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. His playing draws on the rhythmic intensity of his early drumming background and ranges freely between jazz improvisation and contemporary classical writing, earning him over twenty awards and nominations including the Spellemannpris and the German ECHO Award.
Neset's new orchestral work Changes, written for himself, drummer Anton Eger and five London Sinfonietta players, had its world premiere at the EFG London Jazz Festival on 20 November 2025.
After the London premiere, Changes toured to Harstad and Tromsø in Norway as part of the ILIOS Festival for New Music and the Northern Lights Festival.
Neset released Cabaret (ACT Music, 28 February 2025), the follow-up to Happy (2022), recorded with his regular quintet on a remote Norwegian island.
Neset released Who We Are, a duo album with classical pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, in September 2024.
Geyser, Neset's live recording with the London Sinfonietta from the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, came second on The Guardian's list of the ten best jazz albums of 2023.
