As a child Mattias was always surrounded by all kinds of music, as his father loved listening to a wide range of music, especially jazz and classical music. Father and son used to play a lot together in a playful way and with the attitude that it should be fun making music. This attitude is something Mattias still cherishes to this day.

After diverse studies in the African American music and tradition (The Musical Program at Spyken, Lund; Kapellsbergs, Härnösand Folk High School; Bollnäs Folk High School; Fridhem Folk High School, Svalöv), Nilsson began his freelancing career as a musician, playing in a lot of different groups as well as playing in various musical styles, such as jazz, blues, gospel, salsa, rock and pop. He was offered a place at the Musical Academy in Malmo 2004 but turned it down as he chose to go his own way, to learn from his own experiences.

Nilsson started to attend various jam sessions and to organize new live scenes in Malmo. Between the autumn of 2006 and summer 2008 he held his weekly “Stompin´ at the Savoy – Live Jazz with Mattias Nilsson and guests”, at The Savoy in Malmo. This turned out to be a great success; by doing so he created a new meeting place for live jazz as well as for people of all ages.

In 2006 he took part in Sweden’s largest competition for”Classic Jazz” together with female vocalist Elin Wrede. The Group won first place as well as “Vote of the public”. The concert was recorded live by Swedish National Radio.

In 2007 The Mattias Nilsson Trio went on tour. The trio performed 15 concerts in 17 days and the trio received a very warm reception everywhere they performed. The following year, in 2008, Nilsson got an invitation to perform at the famous Grand Jazz Party in Lund. Later that year he was awarded with Lomma Culture Prize and he was also appointed Jazz musician of the year in Skåne for the second time (also voted in 2007) by Jan Olsson, Skånska Dagbladet.

The Jazz club “The Way WE Play” was opened by Nilsson in the autumn of 2007. Without any financial support, he managed to create a new live jazz scene in Malmo. With concerts and jam sessions every week, he offered local musicians a new scene and with the jam sessions; it eventually became the meeting place for musicians and creative people as well as for the growing and enthusiastic audience.

In the fall of 2009 he performed with a quartet consisting of the great bass player Lasse Lundström, Danish tenor giant Jesper Thilo and the legendary big band drummer Butch Miles (Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis a.o.) at the Malmoe Concert Hall in Malmoe, Sweden.

I January 2011, Mattias returned to Chile. This time to play some Swedish music, which was very appreciated by the Chilean audience.