Mathisen was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim musikkonservatorium 1991–93, followed by a period at the Berklee School of Music in US, and returned to Norway in 1994.

He played in various bands in the Oslo region, e.g. "Erlend Gjerde Quintet", "Inge Stangvik Quartet" and "Storeslem", and the records Her point of view (1997), Northern crossings (2000) and Some things from home (2001), as well as Unbound (2002/2006), with Olga Konkova.

In 2001 he toured in Europe with Terri Lyne Carrington, has also played with a number of international names, such as Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, Bill Bruford, Gary Husband, Ralph Peterson, Nguyen Le and Terje Rypdal.
From 2003 he was member of the transatlantic jazz collective NYNDK (with a release in 2006), so-called because the musicians come from New York, Norway and Denmark.

Mathisen has otherwise participated on recordings with the band "String Zone" (Mystery bag, 2003), Hans Mathisen (Quiet songs 2002–04), Helge Sunde & Norske Store Orkester (Denada, 2005) and Roy Powell Peak Experience Trio (2006), and has been a regular feature as bassist and leader of "workshops" in Groove Valley (annually held in Beiarn in Nordland) where artistic director is Jan Gunnar Hoff.
2013 Played with Joseph Williams, Bill Champlin and Peter Friestedt All Star Band.
Mathisen was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim musikkonservatorium 1991–93, followed by a period at the Berklee School of Music in US, and returned to Norway in 1994.
He played in various bands in the Oslo region, e.g. "Erlend Gjerde Quintet", "Inge Stangvik Quartet" and "Storeslem", and the records Her point of view (1997), Northern crossings (2000) and Some things from home (2001), as well as Unbound (2002/2006), with Olga Konkova.
In 2001 he toured in Europe with Terri Lyne Carrington, has also played with a number of international names, such as Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, Bill Bruford, Gary Husband, Ralph Peterson, Nguyen Le and Terje Rypdal. From 2003 he was member of the transatlantic jazz collective NYNDK (with a release in 2006), so-called because the musicians come from New York, Norway and Denmark.
Mathisen has otherwise participated on recordings with the band "String Zone" (Mystery bag, 2003), Hans Mathisen (Quiet songs 2002–04), Helge Sunde & Norske Store Orkester (Denada, 2005) and Roy Powell Peak Experience Trio (2006), and has been a regular feature as bassist and leader of "workshops" in Groove Valley (annually held in Beiarn in Nordland) where artistic director is Jan Gunnar Hoff. 2013 Played with Joseph Williams, Bill Champlin and Peter Friestedt All Star Band.
Per Mathisen