Sibelian are based in Stockholm, Sweden and produce music of dark, northern, grandeur. Stephen Svanholm formed Sibelian in the autumn of 1999 while he still lived in Great Britain. He has been able to fetch inspiration from widespread musical traditions of which he has first-hand experience.

He comes from a musical family and taught himself to play electric guitar at an early age. After playing lead guitar for a british funk-thrash band for a few years Stephen got wisa and went off to get his music degree. He caught the singing bug while doing that and went on to study operatic singing as a postgraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Since leaving college he has been working as a freelance opera singer and presently sings professionally in Sweden. In rock and classical formats Stephen has appeared on stage well over 300 times. He has also travelled in India and Nepal and been deeply influenced by the culture and music of these countries.

He is also a qualified sound engineer and has recorded and produced other acts.

In september 2004 Stephen travelled to Taipei in Taiwan to take part in a large Buddhist Song Composition Contest from which he came home with several prizes in tow.