The third day in Falun, and preparations and rehearsals of the upcoming New Year concerts with Dalasinfoniettan, Nils Landgren and conductor Alexander Hanson. I will sing music by J Canteloube, D Milhaud, V Herbert among others, and a couple of duets with amazing Nils Landgren! We are all looking forward to the premier on Thursday here in Falun at Kristinehallen.

Dalasinfoniettan
Nils Landgren
Alexander Hanson

 

First day in Falun and of the New Year tour with Dalasinfoniettan, Nils Landgren and conductor Alexander Hanson! We met this afternoon for the first rehearsal and runthrough of the music. Looking forward to the coming days with these great musicians!

Dalasinfoniettan
Nils Landgren
Alexander Hanson

10 years today since the tsunami catastrophe of 2004. Many memorial services were held world wide, and in Ersta kyrka, Stockholm, a memorial concert was held with music by J S Bach and Gabriel Fauré. I participated in this concert together with Patrik Sandin (baritone), Mats Bergström (guitar), Johan Hammarström (organ), Gustaf Sjökvists kammarkör and Gustaf Sjökvist (conductor).

My heart and thoughts go to everyone who lost someone dear...

Ersta kyrka/church
Patrik Sandin
Mats Bergström
Gustaf Sjökvists Kammarkör
 

On Friday (Annandag jul) the 26th of December I will sing during the Memoriam concert in Ersta kyrka, 10 years after the tsunami of 2004. The concert will be broadcasted live on Swedish TV4.

Minneskonsert/Memoriam Concert
Kontrast Stockholm
Bromma Folkhögskola

I'm beginning to feel at home here in Karlskrona...! =) I have had the great pleasure and honor to sing will brilliant Marinens Musikkår (the Band of the Royal Swedish Navy) during three different productions since last year. My visit this time was for Christmas concerts at Karlskrona Konserthusteater, and tonight we did the final concert. Thanks from my heart to my friends and colleagues of Marinens Musikkår for great days, and of course big thanks to conductor Bjørn Sagstad for beautiful musical moments!

Marinens Musikkår
Bjørn Sagstad
 

Yesterday I returned to Karlskrona after a couple of days in Stockholm. And today I woke up to a beautiful sunny December day, and couldn't wait to do the sold out Christmas concert this afternoon with Marinens Musikkår (the Band of the Royal Swedish Navy) and conductor Bjørn Sagstad at the Karlskrona Konserthusteater!
What a great concert, what brilliant co-musicians and what a lovely audience! The Christmas atmosphere was all over the place....!=)
Looking forward to the final concert tomorrow night!

Marinens Musikkår
Bjørn Sagstad

Christmas is ahead and today I met my dear friends and colleagues of Marinens Musikkår, The Band of the Royal Swedish Navy! Together with the Norwegian conductor Bjørn Sagstad we went through the music for our Christmas concerts this coming weekend. Looking forward to these already sold out concerts!

Marinens Musikkår
Bjørn Sagstad

Another joyful production has ended! This time Messiah by G F Händel with wonderful co-musicans as Adolf Fredriks kyrkas ungdomskör & Hägerstens ungdomskör, Ann Wallström with baroque orchestra, Anna Zander Sand (alto), Mikael Stenbaek (tenor), Carl Ackerfeldt (bass) and Christoffer Holgersson & Kerstin Börjeson, conductors. Thank you all for moments of magic!

Anna Zander Sand
Mikael Stenbaek
Carl Ackerfeldt
Christoffer Holgersson

As a closure of a totally fantastic period of Hillborg music, the song O dessa ögon was recorded yesterday for the same album as Sirens was recorded last week. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Sakari Oramo were amazing and I think we got a wonderful take of the song! Looking forward to this Hillborg album!

 

Today I had the first meeting with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Sakari Oramo for rehearsal of the glimmering song O dessa ögon (Oh these eyes) by Anders Hillborg. The song, for voice and strings, will be a part of the final concert of the Hillborg festival on Thursday at the Stockholm Concert Hall!
So lovely to be back at the festival again and to get the chance to sing the fantastic music by Hillborg once more! =)

Stockholms konserthus och Kungliga Filharmonikerna

Anders Hillborg

Arrived at home yesterday night after a couple of intense recording hours with the Anders Hillborg masterpiece Sirens. So grateful to have done this marvellous and glimmering music with wonderful and totally brilliant musicians as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Ida Falk Winland, the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra!!

Next week I have the pleasure to participate at the final concert of the Hillborg festival. This time with O dessa ögon (Oh these eyes) for soprano and strings. Looking forward!

What a night!! Such an incredible and wonderful feeling to be a part of this totally breathtaking music by Anders Hillborg! Sirens ended the opening concert of the Hillborg Festival and the audience responded with standing ovations and never ending applauds. My warmest congratulations to Anders Hillborg!!

Thanks from my heart to all my brilliant co-musicians; beautiful Ida Falk Winland, the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and to maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen!!

I'm looking forward to complementary recording of Sirens this afternoon!

Hillborg Festival

This week is the upbeat to the Composers Festival of 2014 with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Stockholm Concert Hall. The festival is this year dedicated to Anders Hillborg and his music.
Tonight is the opening concert conducted by maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen. I will, together with soprano Ida Falk Winland, the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir and the Royal Stockholm Phiharmonic Orchestra perform one of the true masterpieces by Hillborg; Sirens.

During the past days we have been rehearsing Sirens and as well prepared the live recording of the piece. Tomorrow there will be a complementary recording session without the audience.

Ida Falk Winland
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Kungliga Filharmonikerna
Eric Ericsons Kammarkör
Radiokören

This week ended a larger project at the school where I teach (Bromma Folkhögskola). My student singers did a great show out of a mixture of songs from the 19th and 20th century by composers such as Jean Sibelius, William Roy, Franz Schubert, Lars-Erik Larsson and Roger Quilter. The students acted and improvised during performing and put all songs together in a sequence that ended very dramatically and generated big applauds from the audience.
I am a very proud singing teacher! Thanks to all my brilliant students as well as to my colleague and pianist Göran Nygren!

The next two weeks will be dedicated to the composer Anders Hillborg and his festival in the Stockholm Concert Hall. Looking forward to dive into his amazing and fantastic music!

Yesterday was a lucky day! I got the opportunity to sing the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (Symfonia III) by H M Górecki. It's such emotional and strong music combined with lyrics as sorrowful as the title...

Thanks to all co-musicians of S:t Matteus Symfoniorkester for excellent playing and to dear conductor Sonny Jansson for introducing me to this magnificent music!

S:t Matteus Symfoniorkester

 

All Saints's Day. A day to remember and honor those who are no longer with us. The beautiful Requiem by Ivar Widéen was part of today's service in S:t Matteus kyrka, Stockholm. Co-musicians were Tobias Ringborg (violin), Erik Wadman (organ), Stockholms Poulenc-ensemble and Sonny Jansson (conductor).

Tomorrow I will continue to honor my dear ones with Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Górecki. S.t Matteus kyrka at 18.00!

S:t Matteus kyrka
Tobias Ringborg

Tonight we did a full runthrough of the breathtaking masterpiece Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by H M Górecki. The piece will be performed on Sunday in S:t Matteus kyrka at 18.00. Don't miss this!!

More info on:
S:t Matteus kyrka
S:t Matteus Symfoniorkester


 

During a private event in Eric Ericsonhallen, Skeppsholmen Stockholm, the Requiem by W A Mozart was performed earlier today. I had the honor doing the solo quartet together with Maria Sanner (alto), Mathias Zachariassen (tenor) and John Erik Eleby (bass).  Hedvig Eleonora Kammarkör was singing and members of the Royal Swedish Orchestra playing. Conductor of the day was Pär Fridberg.

The past weeks I have been preparing and rehearsing the upcoming concerts with music by Gorecki and by Hillborg. Parallel with my own rehearsals I have been coaching and preparing my student singers for their concerts with both sacred music (by Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Verdi and Mozart) and secular music (by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Brahms).

Tomorrow night I will meet the full orchestra for the sorrowful music by Gorecki. Looking forward to this rehearsal!

Kungliga Hovkapellet
Maria Sanner
Mathias Zachariassen
John Erik Eleby

What a joyful moment to hear the audience singing along to the true Swedish melodies in Förklädd gud (Disguised god) by Lars-Erik Larsson! This beloved piece was performed during the Celebration Concert of Stockholms stifts kyrkosångsförbund 80 years, yesterday in Hedvig Eleonora kyrka, Stockholm. As a beautiful match Bön till Solen (Prayer to the Sun) by Jan Sandström was preceding Disguised god.
I had the honor working with brilliant colleagues; Karl-Magnus Fredriksson (barytone), Marie Göranzon (reciting), Marie Rosenmir and Sonny Jansson (conductors). Stockholms Symfonirokester playing and choirs from Stockholms stift singing!

Karl-Magnus Fredriksson

Rehearsal tonight of the magnificent piece Bön till solen (Prayer to the Sun) by composer Jan Sandström, and lyrics by Karin Boye.

Tomorrow this piece will be performed during the Celebration Concert of Stockholms stifts kyrkosångsförbund 80 years. Me and Karl-Magnus Fredriksson will sing the solo parts, Marie Rosenmir conducting, Stockholms Symfoniorkester playing and choirs from Stockholms stift singing!

Most welcome to Hedvig Eleonora kyrka, tomorrow at 16.00. No admission!

More information on CALENDAR.

The last concert of the tour BACK TO BACH with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir and conductor Fredrik Malmberg was held today at the same venue as last night; in Vårdklockans kyrka, Visby. Having our dear Eric Ericson in memory when singing, it was hard some time to hold back the tears...

One of the great moments of this tour has been performing the expressive and fantastic piece by Karin Rehnqvist; Davids Nimm. Big thanks to my wonderful co-singers Helena Ströberg and Sara Niklasson!

Eric Ericsons Kammarkör
Sara Niklasson
Karin Rehnqvist
Fredrik Malmberg

Today the tour BACK TO BACH arrived in Visby, Gotland! It was a true joy doing our concert program in Vårdklockans kyrka, the church in which Eric Ericson grew up! The music by I Lidholm, Å Malmfors, L Norman, K Rehnqvist, T Jennefelt, S-E Bäck and J S Bach honored the memory of Eric!

Eric Ericsons Kammarkör

 

The tour BACK TO BACH continued today at Ytterjärna Kulturhus. The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir was the secret guest artist during the lunch concert.

After this appreciated performance we ended the tour day at Sundbybergs kyrka. Together with Sundbybergs Motettkör (and conductor Marcus Edgar) we did a mixed program, in which our "Back to Bach" music was integrated.

Tomorrow the tour goes on to Visby, Gotland!

The first concert of the tour "Back to Bach" was held tonight in Trollbäckens kyrka. The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir with conductor Fredrik Malmberg did music by Lidholm, Bäck, Rehnqvist, Jennefelt and Norman! The concert was also a co-operation with Trollbäckens Oratoriekör and their conductor Susanne Sand.
The spectacular piece Davids Nimm by Karin Rehnqvist was part of the program, and I enjoyed very much doing this amazing music with our new trio; Helena Ströberg, Sara Niklsson and me!

My student singers at Bromma folkhögskola did a beautiful concert today!
During the first weeks at school we have focused on sacred music and as a final of this period we presented today different musical compositions of the prayer Ave Maria. Ave Maria by Bach-Gounod, Schubert, Caccini, Thórdarson, Alain and Saint-Saëns were performed without break. Along with the music the students lighted candles, and we succeeded in creating a room for reflection, tranquillity, prayer and meditation.

Bromma folkhögskola

Today was scheduled for studio recording. Erasmus Talbot contacted me a while ago to be a part of his music, composed for the upcoming space game Elite Dangerous. So today I recorded this dramatic and beautiful space music. I had lots of fun doing the studio session with Erasmus' assistant Andreas Kinger, with whom I did the large project Elysion a couple of years ago. Andreas wrote, together with Mikael Anderfjärd, the Eurovision Song Contest song Golden Star. Great memories!

See the teaser of Elite Dangerous HERE
More about Elite Dangerous
More about Erasmus Talbot

Yesterday was the upbeat of a new season at Bromma Folkhögskola! I'm looking forward to work with new student singers and to be a part of their individual development as musicians!

Bromma Folkhögskola

I had a lovely day yesterday, doing the Lars-Erik Larsson masterpiece God in Disguise (Förklädd gud) in Sunne church. It's always a pleasure singing and listening to this music... it kind of appeals to my Swedish heart!

Christoffer Holgersson was conducting the choir and orchestra from Geijerskolan International Music Week, and Tomas Bergström was reciting as well as singing the barytone solo.

Geijerskolan International Music Week
Christoffer Holgersson
 

Rehearsal today of God in Disguise (Förklädd gud) by Lars-Erik Larsson with choir and orchestra from Geijerskolan International Music Week 2014. I do the parts for solo soprano, Tomas Bergström the barytone solo and my husband Christoffer Holgersson is conducting. The concert will be held tomorrow evening in Sunne kyrka, Värmland.

Geijerskolan
Christoffer Holgersson
Geijerskolan International Music Week

Yesterday I sang in magnificent Engelbrekt Church, Stockholm, during a private service. Always lovely to perform songs that are wished for, from heart to heart! Wonderful co-musician was Stefan Therstam, organ/piano.

Engelbrektskyrkan

Hereby some pics from the evening at the Stockholm City Hall yesterday! We had great fun! =)

Returning to the City Hall earlier today I met my dear friend and colleague Anders Neglin to discuss the future... It was a pleasure getting to know Anders during the large Christmas Concert production in the Stockholm Concert Hall last December!

Stråkkapellet String Ensemble
Experianza

I had the pleasure tonight being the guest artist during a large banquet in the Stockholm City Hall. As a grand final of the evening I did together with brilliant Stråkkapellet String Orchestra music by Händel, Lehár, Grieg and Rossini. Great entertainment and music managing by Annika Brantingson, Experianza and Victoria Lundell, Stråkkapellet!

Stråkkapellet
Experianza

Today was scheduled for rehearsal of the music for the event tomorrow night at the Stockholm City Hall and the Italian guests! The entertainment consists of male composers and female preformers! =) Me and and the (for this occasion female) string orchestra Stråkkapellet (lead by Victoria Lundell and Malin-My Nilsson) will do music by Händel, Lehár, Grieg and Rossini!

Stråkkapellet

What a joy singing music by Henry Purcell!! During the concert tonight, at Kulturhuset Anders in Höör, I did some highlights from The Fairy-Queen and Dido and Aeneas.

Excellent co-musicians were Emelie Roos, Aureliusz & Ewa Golinscy, Kanerva Juutilainen, Julia Dagerfelt, Rastko Roknic, Hanna Thiel, Judith-maria Blomsterberg, Dohyo Sol and Peter Lönnerberg.

I have had the honor being a guest artist at the Höör Baroque Festival since the premier 2012. I'm looking forward to new musical adventures!

Höör Barockfestival 2014

After the opening concert of Höör Baroque Festival the musical festivities continued at Höörs Gästis Baroque Pub La Folia Inn! I got the opportunity to sing music from the Fairy Queen by Purcell, as I will continue to do during the concert tomorrow night!

Höör Barockfestival 2014

A new day of beautiful baroque music!! Such joy rehearsing with these incredible talented musicians!

The festival starts tomorrow night in Höör Church at 18:00. I will do my first appearance at 21:00, at the pub (Höörs Gästis)! Most welcome!

Höör Barockfestival 2014

Stockholm-Höör was the trip of today and ended up with a wonderful reunion with excellent musicians and colleagues, followed by a rehearsal of heavenly music from The Fairy Queen by Purcell!

Höör Baroque Festival of 2014 has started!!

Höör Barockfestival 2014

Finally I'm heading back home to Stockholm. I have experienced great and intense days with wonderful musicians and today I did my final stop on this last tour. I performed this afternoon during a private event in Löddeköpinge Church in Skåne County with a program of mixed genres from Edvard Grieg to Sarah Dawn Finer!

I must admit that I'm a bit tired. Not only because of the early flight from Bergen this morning, but also because of all musical input and output these past weeks. I'm looking forward to a couple of days of resting my voice, but after that I will dive joyously into music by Vivaldi and Purcell! =)

What a success! The Norwegian Soloists' Choir and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra were a perfect match and performed the Choral Fantasy by Beethoven and Friede auf Erden by Schönberg beautifully and with an extraordinary brilliance! Special thanks to amazing pianist and conductor Leif Ove Andsnes as well as to wonderful conductor Grete Pedersen!

I'm very pleased with my first visit to the Bergen International Festival as well as with my first performance with the Norwegian Soloists' Choir! Let's hope we meet again...!

They say that it's always raining in Bergen....but I must say that I have been lucky... It rained when we arrived yesterday, but since then it has been almost blue sky and sunshine...! As my visit ends I am now listening to beautiful raindrops outside my open window as I pack my bags for a very early flight to Copenhagen tomorrow morning. A private event is waiting for me in the south part of Sweden. Let's get some sleep....!

Det Norske Solistkor
Bergen International Festival
Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Together with Det Norske Solistkor and Grete Pedersen, I arrived in Bergen today after a morning flight from Oslo. Such a beautiful place!!! During the rehearsal at Griegakademiet the rain stopped and we got a wonderful pre-summer's evening! I took the chance to see and experience Grieghallen (our concert venue tomorrow night) when attending the opera performance "Voices and Votes". Looking forward to sing in this amazing hall as a part of the Bergen International Festival.

This morning I took off to Oslo, Norway, to meet Det Norske Solistkor (the Norwegian Soloists' Choir) for the first time. It was a pleasure singing with their conductor Grete Pedersen again. I worked with her a couple of years ago in Stockholm during a production with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir. This time I will be a part of the Det Norske Solistkor as they go on tour to Bergen and the Bergen International Festival.

Det Norske Solistkor
Bergen International Festival

Great pieces of music started off this week;
Brahms; Fest und Gedenksprüche
Ligeti; Lux aeterna
Schönberg; Friede auf Erden
Edlund; Elegi
Poulenc; Figure humaine

The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, with conductor Fredrik Malmberg, performed this magnificent program in Immanuelskyrkan, Stockholm, last Monday. The audience was thrilled and responded with a standing ovation!

Yesterday we arrived in lovely Barcelona to perform the program once more, and this time in Palau de la Música Catalan. The concert was held tonight and it was a joy for all of us to sing this breathtaking music in such a beautiful hall!

Eric Ericsons Kammarkör
Fredrik Malmberg
Palau de la Música Catalan

I'm on my way back to Stockholm after a great and intense day in Gothenburg. Yesterday I had the honor being, together with amazing Peter Johansson, the guest artist of the Doctoral Conferment of Chalmers. We started off in the sunny afternoon with the main ceremony at the Gothenburg Concert Hall. I did music by Edvard Grieg as well as the magnificent duet Barcelona (Queen) together with Peter. Later on during the following banquet at Chalmers we performed a various program of music; musical, rock, folk music, jazz and classical music. Eminent pianist of the evening was Sebastian Robertsson!

Peter Johansson
Sebastian Robertsson
Chalmers

...when merry lads are playing! =)

Welcome beautiful month of May!!

This month is filled with great music and adventures! Next week I will do a short tour with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir to Barcelona, Spain, followed by a tour with Det Norske Solistkor to Bergen, Norway. This weekend I go to Gothenburg for an event with great artist and singer Peter Johansson, as well as superb Sebastian Robertsson on piano!
Among other things...! =)

Peter Johansson

As one of my last performances during this intense month of April I did music by Händel and Mozart at Musikaliska, Stockholm, this past Monday. I had the honor being a soloist together with excellent tenor Conny Thimander at the Spring concert of Täby Musikklasser. Conductor and pianist was Anders Asp and the orchestra consisted of musicians from the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra!

Conny Thimander

In this beautiful and sunny Springtime the first meeting and preparation was held of the upcoming Hillborg Festival at the Stockholm Concert Hall in November. I have the honor being one of the soloists of the Anders Hillborg masterpiece Sirens, together with Ida Falk Winland, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir and maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen. I will also be a part of the final festival concert singing the beautiful piece O dessa ögon, together with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and maestro Sakari Oramo.

Hillborg Festival Stockholm Concert Hall
Anders Hillborg
Ida Falk Winland

Time flies...St Matthew Passion has reached its ending... In one way it feels as if the production at Folkoperan started yesterday. On the other hand it feels like all people involved have known each other for ages!

The last performance this last Sunday ended with a warm response from the audience with standing ovations, and on stage a strong emotional moment of love and tears... We have shared together a very special and unifying period of time. This production has ment a lot for so many people and I am so grateful for being a part of this project, for all the magnificent musical moments and for the opportunity to not only share the story from my own innermost, but also experience the opened hearts of others!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to:...my beloved husband Christoffer Holgersson (Chorus Master)!
Joshua Sofaer (Director) for your brilliant idea of St Matthew Passion, and for your love, sensibility and caring!
Maria Lindal (Musical Director) for your beautiful playing, for your brave musical ideas and for your inspiring output and energy!
...the fantastic soloists and friends forever; Janna Vettergren, Conny Thimander, Lars Arvidson, Katarina Henryson (The Real Group), Emma Nilsdotter (TRG), Anders Edenroth (TRG), Morten Vinther (TRG) and Anders Jalkéus (TRG)!!! Love you all!!
The incredible singers from Adolf Fredrik church's youth choir and Hägersten's youth choir!
The amazing orchestra Rebaroque!
And to Folkoperan for a wonderful production!

Folkoperan
The Real Group
Joshua Sofaer
Rebaroque
Janna Vettergren
Conny Thimander
Christoffer Holgersson

April has been busy so far. Last week I did four times St Matthew Passion at Folkoperan, one private event and finally the C minor Mass by Mozart in Essinge Church, Stockholm... What a joy singing the magnificent music by Bach in a sold out opera house every night!!! It was although a privilege singing the Mozart masterpiece last Sunday with excellent co-musicians as Tove Dahlberg, Fredrik Strid, Andreas Olsson, Bengt Forsberg (piano), Stefan Fred (conductor), Essinge Chamber Choir, Plica Vocalis and Catalina Langborn with orchestra! Thank you all!!

This week begun with a cold during my days off, but I managed to get well again to sing two more sold out performances of St Matthew Passion yesterday and tonight!! It's really overwhelming to experience the positive feedback and love from the audience every night!! I'm feeling so blessed! Now there's only two more shows to go.... Sunday is sold out, but there are still tickets available for tomorrow!!! Most welcome!

Folkoperan
Tove Dahlberg
Essinge kyrka

After another successful week of St Matthew Passion at Folkoperan this coming week is even more loaded with musical adventures! On Sunday I have the honor doing the Mozart masterpiece C minor Mass in Essinge Church. I addition to that I will do four new performances at Folkoperan, one private event and some teaching...!

This past weekend I had a lot of fun filming for un upcoming advertisement of music and culture! I'll let you know when it's published!

Greatest news this weekend was of course when one of Sweden's largest newspaper Dagens Nyheter chose St Matthew Passion at Folkoperan as "The best culture event of the week"!

Folkoperan