Göteborgs Konserthus Side by Side 2024: Closing Concert

Ida Moberg (1859-1947) Sunrise - Orchestral Suite Sunrise, Prelude: Activity, Evening, Stillness For Swedish speaking Finn Ida Moberg composing meant seeking for the ultimate truths of life. Her philosophical or esoteric compositions often express an individual’s spiritual contest and inner transformation. The orchestral series The Sunrise (1907) is also an inner journey, where searching motives alternate with mystical visions and silences. Evocations of nature serve as metaphors for meditation and for communing with the universe. The first movement build upon a large span from the ripple of a few tones to a swaying chorale-like fulfilment – lika a process of a great spiritual awakening. The second movement contains upward pushing sigh motives as if depicting the life of an individual as a strenuous toil. The action continues in the third movement at a strict pulse, which eventually subsides, as in declining years. The finale played by the string instruments only suggests the hereafter, the spiritual realm. This last movement Moberg included in her opera Asiens ljus (The Light of Asia) as well, under the title Cradle song. Moberg conducted the first performance of the work in Viborg in 1908. She started her career as a singer and piano teacher, and later re-educated herself thoroughly as a composer and conductor. She was a pioneer in the theosophical and antroposophical circles in Finland and nowadays a queer icon as well. Susanna Välimäki

Daniel Nelson (f 1965) Cardiac Fanfare Composer Daniel Nelson was educated in the USA. He writes mostly for symphony orchestras and brass bands. The Cardiac Fanfare (Fanfare of the heart) bursts with rhythms and captivating motifs in Bernstein's style. It is a short version of the work Romantachycardia, which was commissioned by Sveriges Radio Berwaldhallen. Among other things, Daniel Nelson has written the opera Stolthet och Fördom, which was performed at Vadstenakademien. He also gained attention for Chaplin Songs, a musical variation on the film The Dictator by Charlie Chaplin, which premiered at the Berwaldhallen in Stockholm in 2022.

Florence Price (1887–1953) Symphony No 3 Florence Beatrice Price was one of the millions of African Americans who moved from the southern states for a more tolerable existence further North. Early on she gave evidence of musical talent and was taught first by her mother. But after that, there was no teacher to be found in Little Rock who would commit to teaching a black girl. She therefore enrolled in the New England Conservatory in Boston where she graduated in 1903 and then went on to study under its director, George Chadwick. After graduating, returning to Little Rock and getting married, she moved on to Chicago in 1927 after many tumultuous race riots. She had run her own piano school and won several prizes. This gave her a significant reputation and she was supported by music personalities such as the well-known singer Marian Anderson. Her first symphony won the Rodman Wanamaker Prize and was performed in 1932. It was considered to have many features in common with Dvorák. She wrote two more symphonies, No. 3 and No. 4. The second is either lost or never written. The Third Symphony received its first performance at the Detroit Institute of Arts in November 1940. The reception was warm and the reviewer noted that the composer used the musical idiom of his own people with great authority. The slow movement of the symphony has a majestic beauty, and the third contains a series of rhythmic patterns of African origin. The final sweeps by with great energy.

Sergej Rachmaninov (1873-1943) Symphony No 2 E minor Op 27 Rachmaninov's tonal language has many followers in orchestral, popular and film music. But in its original form it still touches strongly and speaks to us in tones found nowhere else. As a touring piano virtuoso and living composer, one can easily compare Rachmaninov with Liszt - here there is the attraction to the diabolical and the fear of strong emotions, and not least the folk closeness that sometimes verges dangerously close to the banal. But it's always genuine. The adagio in the third movement has a romantic opening theme that is easily recognizable and leads to a clarinet solo.

John Williams (b 1932) Star Wars I - The Phantom Menace: Duel of the Fates Composer John Williams has had more influence on film scores than anyone else in modern history. Five Academy Awards (Oscars) speak their own language. Of course, the most famous is the music for the Star Wars film series, which started their famous journey across the world back in 1977. In the music for Star Wars Episode 1, which came out in 1999, John Williams captures the battle between evil and good. The original recording for the film was made by the London Symphony Orchestra.

ANTONÍN DVORÁK (1841-1904) Symphony No 9 E minor Op 95 "From the New World": mvt 4 Allegro con fuoco In 1891, Antonín Dvorák crowned his musical career by accepting the post of professor of composition in New York. It was indeed an impressive career that the poor butcher's son from a small Bohemian country village had made. The newly opened conservatory in New York was not satisfied with anyone other than the most noted of all composers of the time and now Dvorák was undeniably at the peak of his abilities. How much American style there is in the Ninth Symphony can be debated, and it has been done ever since the premiere in New York in 1893 under the direction of Anton Seidl. One has seemed to hear spirituals, pioneer songs, the pulse of big cities and much more. Others have only heard homesickness and realized that it is memories of the beloved Bohemia that push through and shape the music. There are no sure answers. But one thing is absolutely certain: the symphony is overwhelming in its wealth of genius melodies and dazzling orchestral splendor. Few symphonies have a more gas-hugging intensity and at the same time such lyrical beauty. Stig Jacobsson

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Göteborgs Konserthus, the funk gem at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2017-2018 season, Santtu-Matias Rouvali has been Chief conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony. 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. 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 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.

Emilia Hoving has emerged as one of most exciting young Finnish conductors of today. She was the winner of the Finnish critics’ prize 2021 for the Best Newcomer in the Arts. Her assignments as Assistant to Hannu Lintu at the Finnish Radio (2019) and to Mikko Franck at Radio France (2020-22) both led to international appearances with orchestras such as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Orchestre National de Lille as well as with the Helsinki Philharmonic. Emilia Hoving has conducted at Wiener Konzerthaus and made her German debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in their Berlin Philharmonie concert 2022 at only a few hours’ notice. In 2023-2024 she debuts with Swedish Radio Symphony, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Tonkuenstler Wien, Bournemouth Symphony and Tenerife Symphony orchestra. She also led the school concert Bubbles at the Gothenburg Symphony in 2023. In Summer 2022 she made her Tokyo debut at Suntory Hall conducting the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony and her UK debut conducting the Philharmonia, where she has now become a regular guest. Hoving has conducted many works by living (particularly Finnish) composers, and last season gave the Australian premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s Procession at the Adelaide Festival. Hoving studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Professors Sakari Oramo, Atso Almila and Jorma Panula.

Marjolein Vermeeren made her successful professional conducting debut with the Gothenburg Wind Orchestra in May 2022 and she has been back as guest conductor several times since then. She has worked with professional orchestras such as Östgötamusiken, Marinens Musikkår and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and has led El Sistema concerts with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. In the 2024-2025 season, she will make her debut with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Gotlandsmusiken. Marjolein Vermeeren is flutist in the Gothenburg Symphony and grew up in the southern Netherlands where wind music is big. She has worked a lot with youth orchestras and participated for several years at Side by Side as a conductor and instructor for the oldest participants.

The Gothenburg Symphony Vocal Ensemble (GSVE) was formed in 2016 and consists of 12 professional singers. The ensemble works both as part of the Gothenburg Symphony Choir in major symphonic works performed together with the Gothenburg Symphony, and as an independent ensemble under the direction of Katie Thomas. GSVE is a group of experienced and versatile singers, who perform varied programs and explore a wide repertoire, from medieval music to newly commissioned works. The ensemble has previously collaborated with, among others, the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and the Barockakademin Göteborgs Symfoniker and performs regular vocal programs both in Gothenburg's Concert Hall and around the Västra Götaland region.

Birgitta Mannerström-Molin is a choir conductor and singing teacher. She also teaches at the University of Stage and Music in Gothenburg and is involved as a course instructor and choir conductor at national level. She has also been involved in the development of El Sistema in Sweden and is the conductor and artistic advisor for Side by Side by El Sistema, which is performed every year by the Gothenburg Symphony. In 2016, Birgitta Mannerström-Molin was appointed Children's and Youth Choir leader of the Year. She is also a teacher at Hvitfeldtska Musikgymnasiet and project leader for young people at Sweden's Church Song Association.

Katie Thomas is British (Welsh) choral conductor. She directs and coaches professional choirs and non-professional choruses throughout the UK and Europe. In 2023 Katie Thomas was appointed Chorus Director of Gothenburg Symphony Choir and Conductor of the professional-voice Gothenburg Symphony Vocal Ensemble. Dividing time between Sweden and her London base, she maintains her longstanding position as Vocal Coach and Assistant Chorus Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus in addition to freelance work in the UK. Previous engagements include Guest Conductor BBC Singers, Guest Chorus Master MDR Rundfunkchor (Leipzig) and Associate Conductor of 250-voice Barts Choir of London, whilst forthcoming highlights involve collaborations with Vocalconsort Berlin and Le Foyer des Artistes. Katie Thomas is a visiting conductor to the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and the choirs of the Royal College of Music. She is a tutor in choral conducting technique for the Association of British Choral Directors and adjudicates at choral festivals worldwide for INTERKULTUR. As a soprano, Katie Thomas was a member of professional choirs including The Monteverdi Choir, Polyphony and the Academy of Ancient Music, touring major international concert venues including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna and Carnegie Hall New York. With London Voices, she has recorded numerous film and video-game soundtracks, chiefly at Abbey Road Studios, as well as broadcasting extensively on tv and national radio. In 2020, Katie Thomas was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) for distinguished service to the music profession, and for significant contribution in the field of conducting and choral music.