Programme

The 24 preludes completed by Chopin during the notorious winter he spent on Mallorca with his lover George Sand, are some of the most demanding pieces a pianist can tackle. The range is enormous, from small and short simple pieces to brutal outbursts and virtuosic explosions. The famous Raindrop Prelude No. 15 is said to be inspired by the perpetual raining on the island.

Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes, one of the world's most acclaimed pianists, begins his recital with his compatriot Edvard Grieg's piano sonata, written three years before the famous piano concerto. And there are similarities: romantically flowing melodies and glimpses of Norwegian folk music. Grieg has also, like Bach and Shostakovich, embedded himself in the music: the first three notes are e, h, g – the initials of his name Edvard Hagerup Grieg.

Between Grieg and Chopin, Andsnes performs music by another compatriot, Geirr Tveitt (1908–81). He was a concert pianist himself, and his both powerful and sometimes meditative music is often inspired by folk music from Hardanger Valley.

Beethoven was drawn to figures, fictional or real, who dared to stand up against injustices. Egmont in Goethe's drama of the same name was one such fictional but clearly influential figure for Beethoven. In the overture, he summarizes the drama, from the slow introduction through tragedy to a triumphant conclusion.

The orchestra is led by the young and increasingly renowned Czech conductor Jirí Rozen, who is making his debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Dora Pejacevic's music, traces of Wagner, Brahms, and Bruckner can be found, but it is also strongly personal with rich colors and profound seriousness. After a cautious, slow introduction, the contrastive and determined music of this symphony from 1918 unfolds, painting vivid natural scenes. The music also contains exuberant pirouettes that are swept away by dazzling outbursts towards the end. It is an impressive work by a composer who was long neglected.

Jan Lundgren is one of our foremost musicians, and with around fifty CDs and a range of projects and collaborations, he has consistently shown his ability to embrace tradition while always evolving. Each year, Jan Lundgren presents three concerts under the banner Kind of Jazz – unique meetings with invited artists and ensembles. Kind of Jazz 2025 marks the series’ seventh season.

“The title Chamber Jazz signals an intimate way of making music together, and this time there will be no drums,” says Jan Lundgren. “For the first time, I’ll be working with American cornetist Warren Vaché, who is considered one of the greats today and one of the few still active who has played with legends like Benny Goodman. Warren’s roots are in the swing era of the 1940s, with early influences such as Roy Eldridge and Bobby Hackett. The Great American Songbook will be central, and we’ll definitely include something by Duke Ellington.”

Joining Jan Lundgren and Warren Vaché are two of Denmark’s finest jazz musicians: guitarist Jacob Fischer – “we’ve played together in many settings since the 1990s; he’s a true musician’s musician,” and bassist Thomas Fonnesbæk, “arguably Denmark’s top bassist and a successor to the great Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen.”

Note: The cornet is similar to the trumpet but is slightly more compact and has a warmer sound.

Beethoven was drawn to characters, fictional or real, who dared to stand up against injustices. Egmont in Goethe's drama of the same name was one such fictional but clear role model for Beethoven. In the overture, he encapsulates the drama, from the slow introduction through tragedy to a triumphant conclusion. The orchestra is led by the young and increasingly renowned Czech conductor Jirí Rozen, making his debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Triumphant melodies are also found in Max Bruch's first violin concerto, one of classical music's most beloved concertos. It's heavenly beautiful music with irresistible romantic fervor. The soloist is the exceptional South Korean violinist Inmo Yang, winner of two of the world's most prestigious violin competitions: the Paganini Competition in Genoa and the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki. He now debuts with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Dora Pejacevic's music, traces of Wagner, Brahms, and Bruckner can be found, but it is also strongly personal with rich colors and profound seriousness. After a cautious, slow introduction, this symphony from 1918 moves into contrasting and determined music, painting vivid natural scenes. The music also features exuberant pirouettes that are swept away by dazzling climaxes towards the end. It's an impressive work by a composer who was long neglected.

Wilhelm Peterson-Berger is one of our foremost national romantic composers, beloved by many for his three collections of Frösö Flowers for piano, among others. The bright atmosphere and melodies that make us dream of nature and the Swedish summer are also found in the suite Opus 15 for violin and piano.

British-American Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979) was a highly skilled violist and violinist and a pioneer among female composers. In the impressionistically coloured Midsummer Moon, she entices with the full range of the violin and the orchestral breadth of the piano, depicting the moonlit midsummer evening.

In between, American John Novacek's wonderfully humorous, insanely virtuosic, and outrageously entertaining Four Rags, ragtime music in four parts. Rena Kimura, a member of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra since 2017, is accompanied by pianist Per Olsson.

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Menu: Potato leek soup with chive oil. The soup is served with sourdough bread, crispbread, butter, mineral water/light beer, coffee/tea, and a piece of  chocolate. Wine and beer available for purchase for those who wish.

All soups are lactose and gluten-free. Please inform us of any special dietary requests when booking.

Konserthuset Stockholm at Hötorget is one of Sweden’s great architectural masterpieces. Created during a period of expansion in Stockholm, by the Swedish architect Ivar Tengbom, it opened in 1926. Konserthuset Stockholm was built for the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and has since the start been the dedicated venue for the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony as well as many other prestigious events.

• The guided tour is held in Swedish.
• Maximum 25 persons/tour.

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Subtitles
Subtitles in English and Swedish is activated by using the CC control in the video player.

New Friday is concerts for those who with curious interest want to explore our contemporary innovative music. This Friday evening, we meet the Borregaard & Rostamo duo.

Johannes Rostamo moves musically from early Baroque to contemporary art music, from jazz to folk music. Since 2008, he has been the principal/solo cellist of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and since 2022 a professor at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Oslo- and Copenhagen-based Andreas Borregaard made his debut as an accordion soloist at the age of five. Today, he is one of the very best on the instrument.

In their spiritually oriented program, the Borregaard & Rostamo duo mix a thousand years of music. We hear works by the abbess and medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen, Jouni Kaipainen's evocative Elemental Chanting, Britta Byström's Epiphanies, and the Polar Music Prize-winning Sofia Gubajdulina's In Croce – On the Cross. The latter is a title that relates both to the crucifixion and to how the gestures of music intersect.

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New Friday is the series for anyone who is curious and interested in exploring the new music of our era. Come early, stay late – the bar will be open before and after the concert with drinks and appetizers.

Bengt Forsberg travels around the world, particularly as a sought-after chamber musician and sensitive interpreter of romantic piano music. He is also a regular guest at the Konserthuset, where he performs with a trio consisting of clarinet, violin, and cello from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Together, they present fantastic but also unusual music, such as the piano trio by French composer Charlotte Sohy (1887–1955). She lived during the "La belle époque," strongly associated with Paris, where she was born. Her extensive production includes a symphony and several orchestral works, an opera, a lyrical drama, masses, songs, piano pieces, and other chamber music – including this sparkling piano trio.

Also rare on the repertoire is the Austrian composer Walter Rabl. He stopped composing in his thirties to focus on conducting and coaching singers – which is regrettable because this attractive piano quartet, reminiscent of Brahms, contains sweeping romanticism and inviting melodies. As a fine contrast, we hear Stravinsky's entertaining Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet.

The concert opens with music by Gunnar de Frumerie, who, along with Lars-Erik Larsson and Dag Wirén, is usually described as a neoclassicist. As we can hear in the sonata for cello and piano, he was also a romantic and influenced by the Baroque as well. Kajsa William-Olsson, from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, who participates as a cellist, is the great-niece of Gunnar de Frumerie.

For primary school.

The boy dreams of space, and with his toy rocket, he experiences exciting adventures in the strange world of space with its peculiar creatures. The boy is accompanied by his specially equipped space team, and with these helpers, he embarks on his dream journey into the universe.

The boy and the space team are portrayed by actors from Mosaikteatern. Directed by Daniel Rudholm, and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by David Björkman.

For primary school.

The boy dreams of space, and with his toy rocket, he experiences exciting adventures in the strange world of space with its peculiar creatures. The boy is accompanied by his specially equipped space team, and with these helpers, he embarks on his dream journey into the universe.

The boy and the space team are portrayed by actors from Mosaikteatern. Directed by Daniel Rudholm, and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by David Björkman.