Baltic Sea Festival grand opening concert with Salonen and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra with its Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen open Baltic Sea Festival on 9 September 2021. Rebirth is the theme of the whole Festival and in its opening concert, both Anders Hillborg’s Kongsgaard Variations and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Fog, reimagine classical masterpieces. Salonen’s programme culminates in Sibelius Second Symphony and its heavenly apotheosis. The theme of rebirth continues through the Festival with Klaus Mäkelä and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and Kaspars Putniņš Radio Choir programme focussing on the Baltic Seasons and the renewal of life. And the Festival closes with Handel's Messiah – on 18 September – the ultimate story of rebirth and hope.
“It's finally time for the Baltic Sea Festival! And finally we can open the gates and welcome the audience back to Berwaldhallen, albeit with only 300 seats. How we have longed for this moment! Together with Swedish Radio P2, we are now at the starting blocks for the opening of the festival and we look forward to sharing all these wonderful musical treats with the audience. The music is interspersed with thought-provoking conversations that illuminate different perspectives on responsibility and sustainability. With the theme "Rebirth" we want to raise the hope that society and the world can now start to open up again,” says Staffan Becker, General Manager of Berwaldhallen.
“The theme of this year’s Baltic Sea Festival is Rebirth and so our opening concert features two living composers who have given new life to important older pieces. Anders Hillborg takes his inspiration from Beethoven and the last piano sonata, Esa-Pekka Salonen from Bach and the third Partita for solo violin. It is this feeling of renaissance and renewal, as the world emerges from such dark times, that connects all of the performances during the Festival,” says Christian Thompson, Head of Artistic Planning, Berwaldhallen.
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE PROGRAMME
Löf and Dalene in the opening concert
Both pianist Terés Löf and violinist Johan Dalene make a cameo appearance in the opening concert on 9 September, with musical introductions to the two contemporary works. Johan Dalene will perform again in the Festival on 16 September, performing Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with Radiokören and Kaspars Putniņš. It is the Swedish premiere for both Anders Hillborg's Kongsgaard Variations and Esa-Pekka Salonen's Fog.
Tilling, Hammarström, Staples and Rose in Handel’s Messiah
The festival ends on Saturday 18 September with Handel's Messiah and its mighty Hallelujah Chorus, the ultimate piece of rebirth, resurrection and hope. The soloists will be Camilla Tilling, soprano, Kristina Hammarström, mezzo-soprano, Andrew Staples, tenor and Matthew Rose, bass. The conductor is the legendary Reinhard Goebel, making his Berwaldhallen debut.
Our joint responsibility with Jörgen Watne Frydnes
"Our joint responsibility" is the title of the talk from Voksenåsen in Oslo on 17 September. Jörgen Watne Frydnes, Norwegian political scientist and the youngest member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, meets the author Elisabeth Åsbrink in a conversation about responsibility. The conversation is moderated by Jenny Roosqvist Head of News from Swedish Radio Gävle.
For more information about the programme, bios, tickets, etc please go to www.balticseafestival.com
***
Live music with a live audience
All concerts are performed in Berwaldhallen with a seated audience of up to 300 people (due to current COVID-19 restrictions) and measures have been taken to ensure that the audience can experience the festival in a safe way. Every moment of the Festival, including all talks and concerts, may be watched live on Berwaldhallen Play, and this includes the brand new Baltic Sea Studio featuring discussion and interviews with artists, partners and experts. All concerts are broadcast on P2 Swedish Radio as well as internationally through the European Broadcasting Union network.
Tickets
Tickets for concerts can be booked through Berwaldhallen’s Website, or by phone +46-(0)8-784 18 00. Tickets are priced from SEK 100 to 600 and are available at a reduced price for children, students, senior citizens and others.
Upcoming news
The Festival will feature performances of live fanfares in various public places in and around Stockholm, as well as extra activities that have been arranged by partners of the Festival. More information about the fanfares and the additional programme will be released on 1 September.
Press contacts
Carin Balfe Arbman, Press Contact, The Baltic Sea Festival, tel. +46-(0)70-633 35 08, carin.balfe_arbman@sr.se
For questions about Berwaldhallen’s other programmes, please contact Karl Thorson, Press Manager for Berwaldhallen, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Radio Choir, phone: +46-(0)70 431 18 93, karl.thorson@sverigesradio.se
Berwaldhallen in Stockholm is Swedish Radio’s concert hall. Swedish Radio P2 broadcasts all concerts from the Baltic Sea Festival live, and many concerts are also broadcast via the EBU network to countries in the rest of Europe. The Baltic Sea Festival is an international music festival that was founded in 2003 to use classical music as a platform for opening conversations across national borders, helping to create a sustainable future for the Baltic Sea area. www.balticseafestival.com
