Göteborgs Konserthus University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

The core of the orchestra is students of the two-year international master's program in symphonic orchestra playing at the University of Gothenburg University. The training is unique in its kind and is conducted in collaboration with the Gothenburg Symphony and the Gothenburg Opera. The orchestra projects also include students from the bachelor's program in classical music, a three-year program where the students focuses on chamber music playing and individual development on their instrument. Sometimes students from other music colleges are invited to participate and complement the orchestra. The artistic director of the University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is Henrik Schaefer. Each academic year, the University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra performs eight orchestral productions with a total of around 15 public concerts. Internationally well-known conductors and soloists are engaged for these. Recently, Anja Bihlmaier, Eva Ollikainen, ShaoChia Lü, Olaf Henzold, Patrik Ringborg, Tobias Ringborg, Michel Tabachnik and Steven Sloane have been guests of the orchestra. Among the soloists are pianists Roland Pöntinen and Christian Zacharias, violinists Malin Broman and Antje Weithaas, trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth and singer Kristina Hansson. The orchestra also collaborates every year with the opera education at the University of Stage and Music. The University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is an ambassador for the University of Gothenburg, supporting the concert and tour activities.

Henrik Schaefer is Artistic Director of the study programme Master of Orchestra Performance at Gothenburg University. He is also musical director and chief conductor of Folkoperan in Stockholm. The Bochum-born musician began his conducting career as an assistant to Claudio Abbado and was musical director of the Gothenburg Opera Orchestra from 2013-2020. Among other things, he has conducted successful productions of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, Strauss' Daphne, Thomas' Hamlet and Madame Butterfly. His commitment to unknown romantic repertoire is shown in concerts, opera productions and first recordings of rediscovered works by composers such as Elfrida Andrée, Wilhelm Stenhammar, Joachim Raff and August Klughardt. In 2004-2011 Henrik Schaefer was first guest conductor of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, and 2007-2013 chief conductor of Wermland Opera in Karlstad.