Programme

The long-awaited return of one of Sweden’s most international artists in a concert featuring jazz and pop

“The delight of the 2019 concert in Grünewald Hall is still palpable. Soon after that concert, we went through a key change as we entered isolation, cancelled live shows, and had the sudden sense that we were all in a waiting room. Now as the doors open again, my anticipation for the upcoming concert at Grünewald Hall feels like a child awaiting Christmas Eve.”

These are the words of Sylvia Vrethammar, one of Sweden’s most international artists with countless successful tours and guest performances in Scandinavia, Germany, England, Brasil, China and the US behind her.

Backing her at this concert are a traditional jazz quartet and a woodwind quintet. The musicians come from jazz and classical music scenes, and we recognise these songs as typical for Sylvia – with one exception! Brazil has made space for more jazz and pop. Naturally, composers include Vinicius de Moraes and Antonio Carlos Jobim alongside Cole Porter, Lennon/McCartney, George Gershwin and Stevie Wonder. Alexander Gietz and Sylvia herself contribute the composition Back in Town, which is also the title of the concert.

“A friend inspired the music with the phrase, ‘When you’re back in town, give me a call,’” says Sylvia. “Then this simple, swinging composition fell into place and I love to quote the line, ‘Stars shine from heaven when spring is here!’ With my new album, More Champagne, we’re going to celebrate this together.”

The English composer Dorothy Howell (1898–1982) garnered enormous attention in 1919 with the symphonic poem Lamia. The music is inspired by the John Keats poem with the same title. Her orchestral skill earned her the nickname “the English Strauss” already in her lifetime. Despite having been celebrated in the past, she has been relatively forgotten today – but there may well be a renaissance ahead. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra first performed this piece in February 2021 under the baton of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

Of Prokofiev’s five piano concertos, the third is his most performed and beloved. Since its world premiere in Chicago in 1921, when the composer himself performed the solo, it has remained a modern classic. This music is filled with energy, as well as elegance and melodic beauty. Roland Pöntinen, one of Sweden’s absolute foremost pianists, takes on the masterful solo part in this concerto.

Last, we hear Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 – music with which Danish Thomas Dausgaard is very familiar, of course, but also a piece that the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra knows well after both touring and recording it with Sakari Oramo. Symphony No. 4 is subtitled “Det uudslukkelige” (“The Inextinguishable”). This dramatic music was composed in the middle of World War I, and is famous for its duel between two timpani players.

A vibrantly colourful gala

With passion and creativity, hundreds of teens transform Konserthuset Stockholm into a palace of art focused on the climate and the future. In spring, music and aesthetics students from Södra Latins Gymnasium created a vivid, inspiring show that offers unique performances by orchestras and ensembles with songs, hopeful dramatizations, projected creations and elegant dance performances. Already in the foyer, we encounter sculptures and dancers in costumes made from recycled materials, after which a show washes over us on the theme of environmental impact and our fight for a cleaner future.

Guest artists include former students from Södra Latin’s advanced music programme: Petra Marklund, Alexandra Büchel and Fredrik Zetterström

Any surplus will be donated to the fight for the climate.

Since 2016, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (RSPO) offers one year of training on site at Konserthuset Stockholm. The RSPO Orchestra Academy aims to give participating musicians heightened knowledge and understanding of the profession by giving them the possibility to work with – and alongside – one of Europe’s leading symphony orchestras. In addition, extensive chamber music playing is a vital part of the course. This marks the final concert of this season’s academists. 

It begins with a world premiere, music for wind quintet by the young (born 1998) Finn Arttu Ahovaara. He currently lives in Sweden and has studied at the Gotland School of Music Composition. This is followed by yet another wind quintet: Samuel Barber wrote his Summer Music in the 1950s, a piece that is framed by bluesy colours and in between also gives room for individual solos. 

From wind instruments to strings. British-American Rebecca Clarke wrote Lullaby and Grotesque in 1930, and already from the title we understand there will be some contrasting music in this duo for violin and cello. Dvorák composed his string sextet in only two weeks in the spring of 1878. By that time his reputation as a composer was growing, and the partly folk dance inspired sextet was soon picked up around the world. 

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
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The English composer Dorothy Howell (1898–1982) garnered enormous attention in 1919 with the symphonic poem Lamia. The music is inspired by the John Keats poem with the same title. Her orchestral skill earned her the nickname “the English Strauss” already in her lifetime. Despite having been celebrated in the past, she has been relatively forgotten today – but there may well be a renaissance ahead. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra first performed this piece in February 2021 under the baton of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

Of Prokofiev’s five piano concertos, the third is his most performed and beloved. Since its world premiere in Chicago in 1921, when the composer himself performed the solo, it has remained a modern classic. This music is filled with energy, as well as elegance and melodic beauty. Roland Pöntinen, one of Sweden’s absolute foremost pianists, takes on the masterful solo part in this concerto.

Last, we hear Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 – music with which Danish Thomas Dausgaard is very familiar, of course, but also a piece that the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra knows well after both touring and recording it with Sakari Oramo. Symphony No. 4 is subtitled “Det uudslukkelige” (“The Inextinguishable”). This dramatic music was composed in the middle of World War I, and is famous for its duel between two timpani players.

Over the Rainbow: Judy Garland’s life is defined by her search for the rainbow with which she is forever associated. She became an icon – a beloved, admired, highly awarded artist and actor, and she has a well-established place in history books as one of the foremost entertainers of the twentieth century.

Judy Garland was born in Minnesota on 10 June 1922. On this day 100 years later, Isabella Lundgren and a band, together with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, perform music and present stories from Judy Garland’s life. The music has been arranged for symphony orchestra by Mats Hålling. 

Isabella Lundgren is one of Sweden’s most prominent jazz singers. “This divinely talented singer is among the best on the jazz scene”, Svenska Dagbladet wrote.  ”It is as if she makes time slow down, simply by being.” Isabella Lundgren is a great admirer of Judy Garland, and the initiator of this tribute. We also hear a guest performance from Bo Sundström, frontman of Bo Kaspers Orkester.

Indeed, this is a tribute to Judy Garland and her immortal music, but it is also the story of the other side of success, and the power of music – which can alleviate loneliness, even when the rainbow and sparkle feel far away. In Judy Garland’s singing, we hear not the icon, but the person – the woman who experienced both heaven and hell. Audiences were so deeply moved when she sang that they hardly dared to breathe.

NOTE! The concert includes intermission

Songs of Stockholm, from Bellman to Orup, in newly composed arrangements for choir, vocal soloist and piano.

A portion of the proceeds from tickets to this concert will be donated to support refugees from Ukraine.

Cantemus is a large choir founded in 1999 by Sofia and Göran Staxäng. They have performed at Konserthuset numerous times over the years, including acclaimed performances of Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and most recently, two sold-out shows featuring a Queen programme in January 2020. On 11 June, Cantemus returns to Konserthuset to sing Stockholm’s praises with a selection of beloved songs about the city in new arrangements by Sofia Staxäng, with singer Margareta Bengtson and pianist Mathias Algotsson.

Margareta Bengtson was cofounder of The Real Group in 1984, with which she toured the globe. She left The Real Group in 2006 to focus on her career as a soloist, singing everything from jazz to classical music. In 2013, she performed the solo with Cantemus in “God in Disguise” in Music at the Castle – and sang songs by ABBA and Georg Riedel in the same programme.

In recent decades, Mathias Algotsson has become established as a celebrated jazz pianist, touring Sweden and beyond, and gladly in concert with artists from the classical world, such as Barbara Hendricks, or the jazz world, such as Margareta Bengtson – as in this programme. Mathias Algotsson also composes his own music, including for choir, which has been published by Gehrmans Förlag.

Nostalgic programme for Stockholmers of all ages

The programme contains almost nothing but pure, absolute Stockholm classics. Cantemus sing some of the programme themselves, including a new arrangement of Carl Michael Bellman’s “Fjäril vingad syns på Haga” (“A Winged Butterfly Appears at Haga”) and “Stolta Stad” (“Proud City”) to Orup’s “Från Djursholm till Danvikstull” (“From Djursholm to Danvikstull”). We also hear Evert Taube’s “Stockholmsmelodi” (“Stockholm Melody”), Cornelis Vreeswijk’s “Sommarkort” (“Summer Picture”) and Hasse Alfredsson and Tage Danielsson’s “Bedårande sommarvals” (“Adorable Summer Waltz”), which brings all Stockholmers to their favourite watery places outside the city. Beppe Wolgers put his stamp on “Sakta vi gå genom stan” (“Slowly We Walk Through the City”), one of Monika Zetterlund’s signature pieces, performed here in an arrangement just for choir.

Margareta Bengtson sings a handful of songs with Cantemus, including another piece workshopped by Beppe Wolgers: “En gång i Stockholm” (“One Time in Stockholm”), and Barbro Hörberg’s beloved “Ögon känsliga för grönt” (“A Keen Eye for Greenery”). Stockholm’s Södermalm residents – “Söderkisar” and “Söderbönor” – recognise themselves in Nils Perne and Sven Paddock’s “Vårat Gäng – Stigbergsgatan 8” (“Our Gang – Stigbergsgatan 8”). “Mina drömmars stad” (“City of My Dreams”) is close to everyone’s heart. Did you know that Måns Zelmerlöw collaborated with colleagues to compose the lyrics and music?

The choir and soloists perform in various constellations in this programme; some songs are performed by the choir, others by choir and soloist, and some by just a soloist, featuring Margareta Bengtson singing with pianist Mathias Algotsson. She sings the Swedish rendition of “One Morning in May”, with the Swedish title “När Charlie är född” (“When Charlie is Born”), translated by Hasse & Tage. Margareta and Mathias perform a Bossa Nova medley, which also has lyrics by Hasse & Tage: “Stockholm e en jävla stad” (“Stockholm is a Damn City”) and “Siv Larssons dagbok” (“Siv Larsson’s Diary”).

Songs of Stockholm, from Bellman to Orup, in newly composed arrangements for choir, vocal soloist and piano.

A portion of the proceeds from tickets to this concert will be donated to support refugees from Ukraine.

Cantemus is a large choir founded in 1999 by Sofia and Göran Staxäng. They have performed at Konserthuset numerous times over the years, including acclaimed performances of Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and most recently, two sold-out shows featuring a Queen programme in January 2020. On 11 June, Cantemus returns to Konserthuset to sing Stockholm’s praises with a selection of beloved songs about the city in new arrangements by Sofia Staxäng, with singer Margareta Bengtson and pianist Mathias Algotsson.

Margareta Bengtson was cofounder of The Real Group in 1984, with which she toured the globe. She left The Real Group in 2006 to focus on her career as a soloist, singing everything from jazz to classical music. In 2013, she performed the solo with Cantemus in “God in Disguise” in Music at the Castle – and sang songs by ABBA and Georg Riedel in the same programme.

In recent decades, Mathias Algotsson has become established as a celebrated jazz pianist, touring Sweden and beyond, and gladly in concert with artists from the classical world, such as Barbara Hendricks, or the jazz world, such as Margareta Bengtson – as in this programme. Mathias Algotsson also composes his own music, including for choir, which has been published by Gehrmans Förlag.

Nostalgic programme for Stockholmers of all ages

The programme contains almost nothing but pure, absolute Stockholm classics. Cantemus sing some of the programme themselves, including a new arrangement of Carl Michael Bellman’s “Fjäril vingad syns på Haga” (“A Winged Butterfly Appears at Haga”) and “Stolta Stad” (“Proud City”) to Orup’s “Från Djursholm till Danvikstull” (“From Djursholm to Danvikstull”). We also hear Evert Taube’s “Stockholmsmelodi” (“Stockholm Melody”), Cornelis Vreeswijk’s “Sommarkort” (“Summer Picture”) and Hasse Alfredsson and Tage Danielsson’s “Bedårande sommarvals” (“Adorable Summer Waltz”), which brings all Stockholmers to their favourite watery places outside the city. Beppe Wolgers put his stamp on “Sakta vi gå genom stan” (“Slowly We Walk Through the City”), one of Monika Zetterlund’s signature pieces, performed here in an arrangement just for choir.

Margareta Bengtson sings a handful of songs with Cantemus, including another piece workshopped by Beppe Wolgers: “En gång i Stockholm” (“One Time in Stockholm”), and Barbro Hörberg’s beloved “Ögon känsliga för grönt” (“A Keen Eye for Greenery”). Stockholm’s Södermalm residents – “Söderkisar” and “Söderbönor” – recognise themselves in Nils Perne and Sven Paddock’s “Vårat Gäng – Stigbergsgatan 8” (“Our Gang – Stigbergsgatan 8”). “Mina drömmars stad” (“City of My Dreams”) is close to everyone’s heart. Did you know that Måns Zelmerlöw collaborated with colleagues to compose the lyrics and music?

The choir and soloists perform in various constellations in this programme; some songs are performed by the choir, others by choir and soloist, and some by just a soloist, featuring Margareta Bengtson singing with pianist Mathias Algotsson. She sings the Swedish rendition of “One Morning in May”, with the Swedish title “När Charlie är född” (“When Charlie is Born”), translated by Hasse & Tage. Margareta and Mathias perform a Bossa Nova medley, which also has lyrics by Hasse & Tage: “Stockholm e en jävla stad” (“Stockholm is a Damn City”) and “Siv Larssons dagbok” (“Siv Larsson’s Diary”).

Purchased tickets are refunded by the ticket office. Affected customers are contacted with further information.

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One of America's most famous choirs on a unique tour

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square from Salt Lake City, Utah is known for its interpretations of popular, traditional and religious songs. The 300-member volunteer choir is named after the Salt Lake Tabernacle, where they have been active for more than 100 years. The choir performs with 65 members of the Orchestra at Temple Square who are also volunteers.

The venerable choir was formed in 1847 and made its first recording in 1910. Since then, they have released almost 200 albums! The choir has participated in Music & the Spoken Word, which holds the record for longest-running national radio programme carried continuously on a network, every week since 1929. The choir has also participated in seven presidential inaugurations and the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and received awards such as the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy and several Emmy Awards. Thirteen of their most recent albums have reached number 1 in the Billboard Classical Albums Chart. The choir also passed 100 million views on its YouTube channel in 2017.

The choir is now visiting the Nordic countries for the first time since 1982 as ambassadors for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have called the tour the 2020 Heritage Tour.

Age limit 8 year