THOMAS BJELKEBORN was born in Torsåker on the 28th March, 1959. He began by studying aesthetics at Uppsala University, after which he studied musicology at Stockholm University. During this period he came in contact with EMS (Institute for Electro-Acoustic Music in Sweden) in Stockholm, where he studied composition with Lars-Gunnar Bodin, Rolf Enström and Jan W Morthenson in 1986. He also spent some time at the University of East Anglia in 1989, and since then his contact with Denis Smalley has also been of importance.

Bjelkeborn has been composing full-time since 1987. His music is characterised by border-crossing between different genres in encounters with other art forms, which tends to mean that the traditional role of the composer becomes somewhat diffuse. He often works with interactive electro-acoustic music, dance and performance. During 1992 he was composer-in-residence at Collectief et Compagnie in Annecy, France.

EX (1987) for tape and actor is regarded as his breakthrough as a composer.