The 20th Baltic Sea Festival Focuses on Music and Education
The Baltic Sea Festival is more relevant than ever as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. The many sustainability challenges that are facing the nations bordering the Baltic Sea will be communicated through music and exceptional concert events featuring international stars who will perform new and familiar works. The audience will also be invited to participate in existential discussions. This year, the festival focuses on the importance of education in achieving sustainability through the democratic process.
From left: Esa-Pekka Salonen, photo: Andrew Eccles. Gidon Kremer, photo: Angie Kremer. Nina Stemme, photo: Neda Navaee
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen was among the founders of the Baltic Sea Festival in 2002. The purpose of the festival was to highlight sustainability in the Baltic Sea region. Salonen returns this year to conduct the jubilee concert, with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Radio Choir in Mahler’s second symphony. Soloists are Nina Stemme and Miah Persson, two of the internationally most acclaimed Swedish dramatic sopranos. The list of guest performers include the Latvian violinist and conductor Gidon Kremer as well as pianist Víkingur Ólafsson and on the programme is Karin Rehnqvist’s Silent Earth for mixed voice choir and orchestra about us humans and our place here on earth.
Focusing the mind when listening to music gives us access to an important free zone and an understanding of the world around us. The resulting personal encounters may lead to a wider debate. It allows us to feel, think and reflect. I am proud to have been involved in building a platform for these important experiences and conversations over the past 20 years, and I am full of expectation,” says Esa-Pekka Salonen,” conductor and co-founder of the Baltic Sea Festival.
This year’s festival focuses on knowledge and education as important prerequisites for a sustainable society. One event that highlights this is the “Grand tour” at the Vasa Museum, featuring talks on the role of education in sustainable development as well as a Sveriges Radio breakfast panel discussion on the importance of music in this process. The festival concludes with a family theme event about music, the environment and the sea.
During this year’s Baltic Sea Festival we want to highlight the importance of education for an open, sustainable and democratic society. A society with room for different opinions, and which respects different points of view and a common knowledge base. The Baltic Sea Festival offers a platform for discussing these issues,” says Staffan Becker, head of Berwaldhallen.”
Programme
Baltic Sea Festival 20 years
25 August – 3 September 2022
25 August
18.00 Panel discussion on the importance of the Baltic Sea
19.30 Concert: AROUND THE BALTIC WITH MALIN BROMAN
Chamber music concert with music from around the Baltic, with Concertmaster Malin Broman leading her musician colleagues from the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Presenters: Johan Korssell and Sara Norling from SR Channel 2.
26 August
19.00 Concert: GIDON KREMER AND KREMERATA BALTICA
An evening with Grammy awarded Kremerata Baltica, one of Europe’s most outstanding ensembles. Baltic music and Schubert’s ”Winterreise”, in new arrangements for violin and string orchestra on the programme.
27 August
19.00 SILENT EARTH
Rachmaninov’s magnificent second symphony and the Swedish premiere of Karin Rehnqvist’s ”Silent Earth”. With Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Radio Choir and star conductor Dima Slobodeniouk.
28 augusti
19.00 VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON & MOZART
World-renowned pianist Víkingur Ólafsson in a solo recital with music by Mozart and his contemporaries.
31 August
17.30 Panel discussion about the Music, the Environment, the Community: Baltic Sea Festival 20 years
19.00 ESA-PEKKA SALONEN & MAHLER’S SECOND SYMPHONY
Baltic Sea Festival celebrates 20 years! A jubilee concert with Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Radio Choir, conductor laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen, sopranos Nina Stemme and Miah Persson.
1 September
19.30 Conversation on the Vasa ship’s sculptures (Vasa museum)
20.30 Concert: BAROQUE WITH L’ARPEGGIATA (Vasa museum)
L'Arpeggiata play early Baroque music mixed with jazz and latino rhythms. Together with the lutenist Christina Pluhar they perform a dance-inspired programme at the Vasa museum.
2 September
17.30 Panel discussion: Towards a sustainable future
19.00 Concert: A PAEAN TO LOVE WITH RADIO CHOIR AND PUTNINS
Kaspars Putniņš, the Swedish Radio Choir and the Latvian video artist Roberts Rubīns celebrate life through the works of three composers inspired by the Song of Songs. This evening’s philosophical talk explores ways of building a life based on sustainability and love.
3 september
Circus concerts and Familyday in collaboration with the Maritime Museum.
13.00 Concert: THREADS
16.00 Concert: GLASS
The concerts take place in the Swedish Radio concert hall Berwaldhallen when nothing else is stated. All concerts are broadcast on Swedish Radio P2, and a selection of these with on Berwaldhallen Play.
The Baltic Sea Festival opens on the international Baltic Sea Day on 25 August and concludes with a family event on 3 September. For the complete programme and tickets visit balticseafestival.com
Press information and inquiries:
Siri Maassen
Presskontakt Östersjöfestivalen
siri@azote.se
070-770 44 66
Karl Thorson
Press- & PR-ansvarig / Press & PR Manager
Berwaldhallen | Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester | Radiokören
karl.thorson@sverigesradio.se
08-784 18 30 | 070-431 18 93
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