Göteborgs Konserthus Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra & Clara-Jumi Kang

Beast Sampler was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the NDR Sinfonieorchester in Hamburg, and received its premiere in 2014. The work is dedicated to the Royal Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor, Sakari Oramo. A key starting point for Anders Hillborg was to focus more on sound objects than on harmonically based pitch structures. He often refers to the orchestra as a “sound beast”, in which the individual identities of the instruments merge into a single, unified sonority. Samplings from earlier pieces, together with newly created material, form the structural backbone of the work.

Édouard Lalo came from an old Spanish family that had lived in France for several generations. His reputation grew considerably when the great Spanish violinist Pablo Sarasate premiered his Violin Concerto Op. 20 in 1874, followed the next year by Symphonie espagnole – a true stroke of fortune for the 52-year-old composer. Lalo called it a “Spanish symphony”, yet it is essentially a violin concerto in which the soloist is given every opportunity to shine, both through technical brilliance and expressive nuance, while remaining an integral part of the symphonic texture.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No 1 "Titan" The first symphony was premiered in Budapest with the composer as conductor. The music attracted violent criticism, because this was something that was not expected. Mahler had made a name for himself as a brilliant opera conductor but as a composer he was virtually unknown, and now he came up with an ambitious, stylistically variegated and strangely personal symphony. Few works by Mahler have since undergone so many revisions - right up until 1898. When the first version was found in the 1960s, it was clear that the differences were large. The opening is compelling: it begins with an unforgettable feeling of space and stillness. Perhaps Mahler was thinking of when he was left alone in the forest by his father with the promise not to move until his father returned - and it took many hours. Gradually, thematic fragments emerge: horn calls, trumpet fanfares, birdsong. The second movement was first called "Full Sails" and reflects a longing for nature and lively, Austrian-inspired peasant dances. "Mourning march à la Callot" he called the third movement, and the etching intended by the artist shows the dead hunter being carried on a stretcher by the animals of the forest. It is a parodic picture and a highly parodic piece of music, which is based on the well-known children's song Frère Jacques in an ironic, grotesque and bitter minor version. In the trio part there is another quote from Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. The finale is the despair of a wounded heart. He borrowed the title of the movement from Dante: "From inferno to paradise". Music may seem to start in hell, and Mahler was probably a long way to paradise. But he didn't get there yet, he did so only in the second symphony - and it was started immediately after the first.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1902 and Stockholm Concert Hall has been the orchestra's home since 1926. Chief conductor since 2023 is award-winning American Ryan Bancroft. Among the guest conductors are greats such as Riccardo Muti, Andris Nelsons, Herbert Blomstedt, Nathalie Stutzmann, Gianandrea Noseda and honorary conductors Sakari Oramo and Alan Gilbert. Sakari Oramo was the orchestra's chief conductor in the years 2008–2021. Together, over the years, they gained a lot of attention for both recordings and international tours. The German daily Die Welt described the Royal Philharmonic as "one of the world's best orchestras". The Royal Philharmonic has received a lot of attention for its recordings. Among these can be mentioned Carl Nielsen's six symphonies on three CDs (BIS), which were praised by critics worldwide and the CD with symphonies no. 1 and 3 was awarded the BBC Music Magazine Award for best classical orchestral production. Two CDs with recordings of Anders Hillborg's music have both been awarded Grammis, and they have also released a CD with the American star soprano Renée Fleming. The recording of Nielsen's and Sibelius' violin concertos together with Johan Dalene was awarded a Grammis in 2023.

Ryan Bancroft is Chief Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic's since 2023. He grew up in Los Angeles and gained international attention in 2018 when he won the prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors. In 2025, Ryan Bancroft and the Royal Swedish Philharmonic made their very first joint European tour. Bancroft has played with a number of leading European and American orchestras, such as the Philharmonia, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Rai Orchestra in Turin, City of Birmingham Symphony and San Francisco Symphony. He has conducted all major Swedish orchestras, including the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony. With the Royal Swedish Philharmonic, he has premiered a symphony by Daniel Börtz, and was responsible for the European premiere of Anders Hillborg's The MAX Concerto.

German-born violinist Clara-Jumi Kang made her debut with the Royal Philharmonic in 2021. This season she is their Artist in Residence. uring her career, she has received numerous awards, including first prize at the Indianapolis International Violin Competition 2010, the Sendai Violin Competition and the Seoul Violin Competition. Her Beethoven Violin Sonatas with pianist Sunwook Kim, released on Accentus 2021, received outstanding reviews. Highlights of recent years include festival appearances at the BBC Proms, the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and her debut at the Salzburg Festival. She has made her debut with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Daniel Harding, and returned to the Munich Philharmonic and the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Chief Conductor Lahav Shani. She also made her debut with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Zubin Mehta on tour in China and Europe. Clara-Jumi Kang was born in Germany and at the age of seven received a scholarship to the Julliard School in New York.