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Hans Davidsson is an internationally active organist, church musician, researcher, author and consultant and artistic director of Gothenburg International Organ Academy. Since 2017 he is back in Gothenburg as organist in Älvsborg church. From 1986 he worked as a teacher of organ and church music at the Academy of Music at the University of Gothenburg and was appointed professor in 1988. He has also taught at the Eastman School of Music 2000-2012, the Hochschule för Künste in Bremen 2006-2013 and the Royal Danish Music Conservatory in Copenhagen in 2011 -2018. Among Hans Davidsson's many recordings are all organ works by Matthias Weckman, Georg Böhm, Dietrich Buxtehude and Felix Mendelssohn's Six Sonatas (Loft). Hans Davidsson was a driving force in the construction of the new Rieger organ in Gothenburg's Concert Hall, which was inaugurated in 2021.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

Hans Davidsson is an internationally active organist, church musician, researcher, author and consultant and artistic director of Gothenburg International Organ Academy. Since 2017 he is back in Gothenburg as organist in Älvsborg church. From 1986 he worked as a teacher of organ and church music at the Academy of Music at the University of Gothenburg and was appointed professor in 1988. He has also taught at the Eastman School of Music 2000-2012, the Hochschule för Künste in Bremen 2006-2013 and the Royal Danish Music Conservatory in Copenhagen in 2011 -2018. Among Hans Davidsson's many recordings are all organ works by Matthias Weckman, Georg Böhm, Dietrich Buxtehude and Felix Mendelssohn's Six Sonatas (Loft). Hans Davidsson was a driving force in the construction of the new Rieger organ in Gothenburg's Concert Hall, which was inaugurated in 2021.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

The choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

The choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Overture to Le nozze di Figaro The task of an overture is to create anticipation and excitement and to give a foreshadowing of the dramatic events of the opera. Mozart signals joy and comedy with the high tempo, but the dark tones also let us suspect that this is an opera with serious elements. The frame plot is one of the most common in Mozart's time: the struggle between the lord - the count - and the servant, where the latter ultimately draws the longest straw. When the overture's humming flight of bumblebees has come to an end, the curtain rises, and we meet the servant Figaro and his fiancée Susanna in the process of finding the best place for their new bed - they are getting married.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

The choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

Justyna Jara began playing the violin when she was seven years old. After winning a prize at a competition for young violinists in Gdansk, Poland, she continued her studies in Warsaw with Miroslaw Lawrynowicz. During her studies, she won prizes in several violin competitions. She also recorded Wieniawski's Etudes Caprices Op 10 and 18 for the Acte Préalable record label as a tribute to her teacher. She studied for a year at the Chopin University in Warsaw and then at Juilliard in New York, working with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, often as assistant concertmaster. In 2014, she was appointed second concertmaster of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

Jun Sasaki is co-principal cello in Gothenburg Symphony since 2014. He was born in London and studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music with Thomas Carroll before moving to Oslo to study at Norges Musikhögskola with Truls Mørk. A prizewinner at the Royal Overseas League (UK) and Antonio Janigro (Croatia) competitions, his cello playing has led to appearances on TV and radio, and has taken him to festivals and venues across Europe and beyond - as soloist performing in venues such as the Cadogan Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Wigmore Hall, and at festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), Edinburgh Fringe (Scotland), and Ultima (Norway). With a passion for chamber music, Jun has performed with artists such as Leif Ove Andsnes , Barbara Hannigan, Pekka Kuusisto, Corina Belcea and his teacher Truls Mørk. Jun is a member of Ensemble Caplet, as well as member of the musician community of Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

Erik Risberg was employed as a pianist in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2023, also performing on organ, harpsichord and other keyboard instruments. He regularly performed as a chamber musician, including in a piano duo with Bengt Forsberg. Erik Risberg has also been a valued teacher of musical performance at the Gothenburg Academy of Music and Drama for many years and also gives introductions at the Symphony Orchestra's concerts.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

Erik Risberg was employed as a pianist in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2023, also performing on organ, harpsichord and other keyboard instruments. He regularly performed as a chamber musician, including in a piano duo with Bengt Forsberg. Erik Risberg has also been a valued teacher of musical performance at the Gothenburg Academy of Music and Drama for many years and also gives introductions at the Symphony Orchestra's concerts.

Jun Sasaki is co-principal cello in Gothenburg Symphony since 2014. He was born in London and studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music with Thomas Carroll before moving to Oslo to study at Norges Musikhögskola with Truls Mørk. A prizewinner at the Royal Overseas League (UK) and Antonio Janigro (Croatia) competitions, his cello playing has led to appearances on TV and radio, and has taken him to festivals and venues across Europe and beyond - as soloist performing in venues such as the Cadogan Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Wigmore Hall, and at festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), Edinburgh Fringe (Scotland), and Ultima (Norway). With a passion for chamber music, Jun has performed with artists such as Leif Ove Andsnes , Barbara Hannigan, Pekka Kuusisto, Corina Belcea and his teacher Truls Mørk. Jun is a member of Ensemble Caplet, as well as member of the musician community of Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.

Cellist Johan Stern is principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and teaches cello, chamber music and orchestral playing at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and at the Juilliard School in New York. As a member of Gageego!, the Gothenburg Ensemble for New Music, he has premiered several solo works by our leading Nordic composers. Johan Stern has participated in a number of international festivals and as a soloist and chamber musician has performed with figures such as Bobby McFerrin, Edward Gardner, Petri Sakari, Kristjan Järvi, Daniel Müller-Schott and Levon Chilingirian. During his studies at Juilliard, he had the privilege of collaborating with several internationally renowned musical figures, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma and composers Elliott Carter and John Cage.

Justyna Jara began playing the violin when she was seven years old. After winning a prize at a competition for young violinists in Gdansk, Poland, she continued her studies in Warsaw with Miroslaw Lawrynowicz. During her studies, she won prizes in several violin competitions. She also recorded Wieniawski's Etudes Caprices Op 10 and 18 for the Acte Préalable record label as a tribute to her teacher. She studied for a year at the Chopin University in Warsaw and then at Juilliard in New York, working with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, often as assistant concertmaster. In 2014, she was appointed second concertmaster of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.

The choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

The choir was founded in 1917 by cousins Elsa and Wilhelm Stenhammar. Elsa Stenhammar was one of the driving forces in turn-of-the-century choir life in Gothenburg and became the choir's first rehearser. On December 8, 1917, the choir debuted in Beethoven's Choir Fantasy with Wilhelm Stenhammar as soloist at the grand piano. As the country's oldest symphonic choir, they were able to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017 with a big celebratory concert where Mozart and Brahms as well as Stenhammar, Elfrida Andrée and Björn & Benny were on the program. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir is a non-profit association that is linked to the Gothenburg Symphony. The choir participates in concerts and performances under both the orchestra's and its own auspices. The music is mixed and the repertoire extensive. The Gothenburg Symphony Choir has participated in concerts in, among other places, the Royal Albert Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England, as well as participated with the Gothenburg Symphony in the annual music festival in the Canary Islands and on a tour to China.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Forsström moves naturally between the symphonic repertoire, oratorios and intimate chamber music. With her background in church music, she is often hired as a soloist in Baroque music, but she is just as happy to sing the great late Romantic music such as Brahms' Altrapsodie and Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and newly written works. She has recorded for Musica Rediviva, Sony Classical, Chandos Records and BIS. Since 2014, she has visited the Oxford Lieder Festival several times with pianist Matti Hirvonen and toured with Schubert's Winterreise together with Bengt Forsberg. Maria Forsström also commissions new music for mezzo, marimba, organ and piano for her chamber music trio, including in collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück. She has sung with orchestras such as Musica Aeterna, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra and with conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Christoph Eschenbach, Edward Gardner, Masaaki Suzuki and Jacek Kaspszyk.