Göteborgs Konserthus Carmina Burana

CARL ORFF (1895-1982) CARMINA BURANA Fortuna imperatrix mundi I Primo vere II In taberna III Cour d'amours Blanziflor et Helena Fortuna imperatrix mundi During the 1930s, Carl Orff was one of the most noted composers in Germany. Much of his fame came with Carmina burana which was composed in 1935-1936. Its subtitle reads "secular songs for soli and choir accompanied by orchestra and with magical images" - a scenography of a medieval kind where evocative paintings and decorations in concert with the large choir create an overwhelming impression. Carmina burana was first performed in Frankfurt am Main in 1937, given at La Scala in 1942 and shortly afterwards also in Vienna, but despite this Orff only became more widely known as a composer after the war. The music was not like anything else, it felt original and stood outside contemporary trends and schools. His musical inspiration can be said to have its roots in the dramatic imagery, with Greek tragedy and Italian baroque opera as two major sources of inspiration. Musically, there is a closer influence: Stravinsky's dramatic cantata Oedipus Rex and above all Les noces - rhythmically marked music of a deliberately simple style with a sparse orchestral movement (lots of percussion) and the choir as basic elements. Orff's work often grew out of a combined vision of the scenic and the musical - everything he created reveals a lush, visible imagination. Most of what he produced is intended for the stage, including Carmina burana. But the piece has shown its strength even without stage arrangements and is just as often performed in the concert hall with great success.

Kim Phipps has been conductor and artistic director of Västra Götaland's Youth Orchestra since the start in 2000. He has also been artistic director of Läcköoperan since 2003 and is conductor of the award-winning Swedish Chamber Orchestra, which he also founded. Kim Phipps was born in London and received his early musical training as a chorister at New College, Oxford. He took his B.A. as a Choral Scholar at King's College, Cambridge and went on to study singing at the Guildhall School in London. Conducting studies in Munich and Manchester followed and he made his professional debut at the Gothenburg Opera in 1985. The next ten years were largely devoted to opera with engagements at Sadlers Wells and English National Opera in London, Krefeld in Germany, and Malmö in Sweden. In 1994 Phipps moved to Sweden and has since then lived in Gothenburg. Although opera is still an important feature of his career, orchestral and choral work is now equally important. Kim Phipps has conducted most of the professional orchestras in Sweden including the Gothenburg Symphony.

Agnes Thörn is a soprano and graduated in the spring of 2022 from the opera program at the University of Theater and Music in Gothenburg. In the graduation production in December 2021, she sang the role of Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute, directed by Nils Spangenberg and conductor Henrik Schaefer. In the spring of 2022, she appeared as Siren in Herr Arnes Penningar at the Gothenburg Opera. After graduating in June 2022, she returned to the role of the Queen of the Night in Germany at the Berlin Opera Academy. She is currently studying opera interpretation at master's level at the University of Theater and Music.

Swedish Baritone Hannes Öberg (born 1991) started singing at the age of 11. He studied music at Sundstagymnasiet in Karlstad and took lessons from organist, conductor and vocal coach Mårten Engdahl. In spring 2010 he was accepted to Vadstena pre-college music school, where he studied with vocal coaches Anders Düring and Monica Thomasson. 2012-2015 Hannes took part in the Bachelor’s program at the University college of opera in Stockholm, studying with tenor and vocal coach Erik Årman. During these years he worked with orchestras, directors and conductors from all over Scandinavia and he even had the privilege of performing a private lieder concert for the Swedish Royal family. In 2014 he made his debut at the Royal Opera in Stockholm as Don Juan in the new opera Min bror är Don Juan. 2015-2017 Hannes furthered his studies by participating in the Master’s Programme at the University College of Opera in Stockholm. Among recent and future engagements to be mentioned are Algernon in The Importance of Being Ernest at the Vadstena Academy, Valentin in Faust at Norrlandsoperan, a revival of Min bror är Don Juan at the Royal Opera and Maximilian in Candide with the Warsaw Philharmonic.

The tenor Petter Reingardt attended Södra Latins Gymnasium's music department and has studied classical singing at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. He has also studied the opera program at the University of Theater and Music in Gothenburg and has studied in Italy with teachers such as Chris Merritt and Benton Hess. He freelances as an opera singer, teacher and choir director and more.