Leif Karlsson is a renowned Swedish conductor, chief conductor for the State Wind Symphony Trimitas in Lithuania and the Inspector of Music in the Swedish Armed Forces. He has worked with a great number of orchestras in Scandinavia over the last decades and has premiered more than 250 compositions.

As a conductor Leif has been working with Wermland Opera, Förvarets Musikkorps in Trondheim and Harstad, Dansk militärkorps in Haderslev, Norrlandsoperan, Jönköpings Sinfonietta, Västerås Sinfonietta and Bodö Sinfonietta, amongst others. He is also the leader of Norrbotten Youth Symphony orchestra since its start in 1991 and Artistic director for the Uppsala Wind Symphony.

As a professional percussionist Leif Karlsson was one of the founding members of the world renowned percussion ensemble Kroumata, with which he recorded, toured and preformed for 30 years. With Kroumata, he was a soloist with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berliner Symphoniker, WDR Rundfunkorchester, Singapore Symphony, Gothenburg Symphony orchestra, Islands Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. Over the years, Kroumata performed in 43 countries and almost 600 cities worldwide and recorded 19 critically acclaimed records.

As a Swedish ambassador for the arts, Leif Karlsson was honored with the Positive Sweden honorary award. He has performed at international state visits of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden. Leif Karlsson is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.