Staged in June at Ulriksdal Palace Theatre in Stockholm, Festival O/Modernt is the highlight of our season. We gather a wonderful array of artists from around the world to share the stage with emerging talents for a week of concerts and arts events. The weeklong journey takes its inspiration from a noted composer of the past, who is celebrated through imaginative programming and unexpexted artistic juxtapositions.
In 1853 Schumann published a celebrated essay, 'New Paths', which extols BRAHMS (1833-1897) in messianic terms as the one composer able to ‘give expression to his times in ideal fashion’. What a prophecy to place on the young man’s shoulders! Anticipating the philosophy of O/Modernt, Brahms lived up to the hype and reinvented the past by redefining the roots of classical music, breathing contemporary life into historical styles and opening up NEW PATHS. Festival O/Modernt 2023 pays tribute to Brahms, pairing his chamber and symphonic works with new Brahms-inspired commissions by Albert Schnelzer, Sebastian Fagerlund and Jill Jarman, and juxtaposing his music with some unexpected partners, including the rock band Nirvana, Purcell and Philip Glass.
År 1853 publicerade Schumann sin berömda essä ”Nya banor”, där han hyllar BRAHMS (1833-1897) som den enda kompositör som ”kan uttrycka tidsandan på ett idealiskt sätt”. Vilken börda att lägga på den unge mannens axlar! Men Brahms levde upp till hypen och återuppfann det förflutna genom att omdefiniera den klassiska musikens rötter, blåsa nytt liv i historiska stilar, öppna upp NYA BANOR – och förekomma O/Modernts filosofi. Festival O/Modernt 2023 hyllar Brahms genom att para ihop hans kammarmusik och symfoniska verk med nya beställningsverk av Albert Schnelzer, Sebastian Fagerlund och Jill Jarman, och uppföra dem i oväntade kombinationer, såsom med rockbandet Nirvana, Henry Purcell och Philip Glass.
Festival Artwork: Michael Kenna
In time, space, and media, it may be the most multi-dimensional classical festival in the world —The London Magazine
The general ticket sale for the festival has started!
Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson works prolifically as soloist and chamber musician. Highlights of the 2018/19 season include appearances at Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, Aldeburgh, Resonances and Ernen festivals, two appearances in the Time Unwrapped series at Kings Place, and collaborations with Adrian Brendel, Steven Isserlis, Viktoria Mullova, Pieter Wispelwey, the Doric String Quartet, the Gringolts Quartet and the Nash Ensemble among many. Throughout the season he is Chamber Pianist in Residence at Sage Gateshead.
Alasdair is renowned as a sincere musician and intrepid programmer. Alongside a particular affinity with the classical repertoire and the music of Schumann and Fauré, he often explores the more exotic: Catoire, Pierné, Thuille; Debussy’s Jeux (in the composer’s arrangement for solo piano); Ligeti Horn Trio, Thomas Adès Piano Quintet; and piano trio arrangements of Debussy’s La Mer, Janacek’s Kreutzer Sonata, Shostakovich’s 15th Symphony (with 3 percussionists) and Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht. His concerto repertoire includes works of Bach, Bartok, Fauré, Hans Abrahamsen, Hindemith, Mozart, Sally Beamish, Stravinsky, Messiaen, appearing in recent years with Britten Sinfonia, Moscow Virtuosi, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Sønderjyllands Symphony Orchestra and Tapiola Sinfonietta.
2017 saw the release on BIS of a recording with Alec Frank-Gemmill of 19th century music for horn and piano, recorded on four exquisite historical pianos (and four fantastical historical horns) spanning 1815 - 1895. This release joins an acclaimed discography of three solo and numerous chamber recordings, on BIS, Claves, Champs Hill, Evil Penguin and SOMM labels.
A regular participant at the open chamber music at IMS Prussia Cove, Alasdair took part in their tours of 2007 and 2011, and collected the 2008 RPS Award for Chamber Music on their behalf. He has enjoyed working closely with composers George Benjamin, Harrison Birtwistle, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Heinz Holliger and Helena Winkelman.
A former student of John Blakely and Menahem Pressler, Alasdair is increasingly drawn to education, teaching annually on the Musicworks summer courses, as a regular mentor at London's Chamber Studio, and maintaining a class of solo pianists at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Alasdair is founder and artistic director of the French chamber music festival Musique à Marsac, and from 2019 a co-artistic director of the chamber music festival in Ernen, Switzerland.
UK-born Alexander Jones is Assistant Principal of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He began learning the double bass with Gethin Griffith at the age of seven, and has since studied with Ronan Dunne, Tom Goodman, Graham Mitchell, Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE and Dominic Seldis. He was an undergraduate at Cambridge University before moving on to the Royal Academy of Music. Alexander has appeared as Guest Principal of the Philharmonia, BBC Scottish Symphony and Royal Scottish National orchestras, and has also appeared as Guest Principal with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Dunedin Consort and The English Concert. As a soloist, he has performed at the Grafenegg Festival, recorded for Divine Art and premiered works by several composers. As a chamber musician, he has worked with a number of ensembles and has performed at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and the BBC Proms.
Alexander Melnikov completed his studies at the Moscow Conservatory under Lev Naumov. His most formative musical moments in Moscow include an early encounter with Svjatoslav Richter, who thereafter regularly invited him to festivals in Russia and France. He was awarded prizes at eminent competitions such as the International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1989) and the Concours Musical Reine Elisabeth in Brussels (1991). Known for his often unusual musical and programmatic decisions, he performs regularly with distinguished period ensembles including the Freiburger Barockorchester, Musica Aeterna and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. As a soloist, Alexander Melnikov has performed in a number of renowned concert halls, and has an impressive discography, including his recording of Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich, named by the BBC Music Magazine as one of the "50 Greatest Recordings of All Time." Furthermore he is an active chamber musician, working regularly with various partners such as Isabelle Faust, Sol Gabetta or Jean-Guihen Queyras.
Annette Walther studied in Düsseldorf, Essen and London with Ida Bieler, Vesselin Parschkevov and David Takeno. At the Guildhall School for Music and Drama in London she also took chamber music classes with Sir Colin Davis and the Takacs Quartet.
She is a founding member of the Signum Quartet, an international renowned string quartet.
Concert appearances have taken the Signum Quartet to international podia from Madrid and Barcelona to Basel and Paris. The quartet has performed at the Hamburg Laeiszhalle, the Berlin Philharmonie and Konzerthaus, the Luxemburg Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus Vienna, the Wigmore Hall London, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Boston Harvard Musical Association as well as at the Schleswig-Holstein, Rheingau and Schwetzingen Music Festivals and at the BBC Proms.
Their recording ‘No.3’ (Bartók, Berg and Schnittke) was awarded the International Classical Music Awards 2014 ‘Best Chamber Music Recording’. Subsequent recordings include “soundescapes“ (Ravel, Debussy, Adès) and “Alla czeca“ (Suk, Schulhoff, Dvorák).
The most recent released Schubert Recording in march 2018 is receiving international critical acclaim( Diapason d’Or amongst others)
In addition to her career with the Signum Quartet, Annette regularly performs with artists such as Nils Mönkemeyer, William Youn, David Cohen, Liza Ferschtman and Priya Mitchell at festivals including the Musikfestspielen Mecklenburg –Vorpommern, Lofoten International Chamber Music Festival, Musiktage Hitzacker and Kammermusikfest Sylt. Furthermore she played alongside Carolin Widmann, Alexej Girassimez and others in the Production’Figure Humaine‘ which the renowned german Choreographer Sasha Waltz created for the inauguration of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg in Januar 2017.
She is a regular guest in the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and ensemble musikfabrik, concertmaster of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, and the Folkwang Chamber Orchestra. Furthermore is she a member of the Geneva Camerata, O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Unterwegs.
At the beginning of 2016, Annette has been appointed as violin lecturer at the Louis Spohr Music Academy in Kassel and follows her passion of teaching with great enthusiasm.
Christoffer Sundqvist, who was born in Stockholm, moved to Finland at the age of six and began his clarinet studies at the Jakobstad Conservatory with Bernhard Nylund. Alongside his outstanding performances of classical repertoire, he is an ambassador for contemporary Nordic music. Composers including Magnus Lindberg, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Aulis Sallinen and Sebastian Fagerlund have written more than twenty works for him. Christoffer has appeared as soloist with orchestras across Europe. A passionate chamber musician, he is co-founder of the brass quintet Arktinen Hysteria and a long-term member of the Plus Ensemble, based in Turku. Christoffer collaborates regularly with Pekka Kuusisto, Hugo Ticciati, Angela Hewitt, Oliver Triendl and Niek de Groot. Since 2013 he has been Artistic Director of the Jakobstad Sinfonietta and Rusk Chamber Music Festival in Jakobstad. His discography includes releases on BIS, Alba and Ondine Records, many of which have been awarded Emma prizes.
The Italian cellist Claude Frochaux began playing the cello at the Suzuki Talent Center before moving onto the Conservatory of Turin. Studies followed in Frankfurt, Essen and Madrid. As a sought-after and passionate chamber musician, he is a guest at festivals including Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mozartfest Würzburg, Beethovenfest Bonn, Oxford, Enescu Bucharest and venues such as Wigmore Hall and Kings Place London, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Konzerthaus Berlin and Laeiszhalle Hamburg. He also broadcasts repeatedly on the radio, notably with BR, WDR, SWR, Deutschlandfunk and Radio Clasica. In 2008 he founded the Monte Piano Trio, which has won numerous international prizes (Maria Canals Barcelona, Brahms Austria, Schumann Frankfurt and Folkwang Prize) and regularly gives concerts. He collaborates with groups inlcuding Ensemble Midwest Denmark, Amici Ensemble Frankfurt and Ensemble Ruhr. Claude is founder and artistic director of Kammermusikfest Sylt, which takes place every year on the German island of Sylt, and the music-project MUSICA+ in Frankfurt.
Connie is an exciting British Violist, performing across Europe as a soloist and leader, and internationally as a chamber musician. Based in Amsterdam, Connie is a member of the Marigold Piano Quartet who recently took the Netherlands by storm, with performances at the Concertgebouw and multiple features on the Dutch classical Radio 4. Currently she is studying her masters degree at the Conservatoire van Amsterdam with Nobuko Imai and Marjolein Dispa. She freelances across Europe with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, 12 Ensemble and O'Modernt Chamber Orchestra, and is the co-founder of Seida Ensemble. Connie has a wealth of chamber music experience and enjoys putting together collaborative chamber concerts. Her artistic and conceptual approach has been largely influenced by musicians she has played with at festivals such as Yellow Barn, IMS Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music and Zermatt Music Festival. She plays on a Charle Coquet viola and an Emmanuel Carlier bow.
Daniel Eklund (1987) was born and raised in Lund, Sweden, where he started playing the viola at the age of 5. In 2015, he began his studies in the soloist class at the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, with Professor Lars Anders Tomter and Tim Frederiksen.
Daniel Eklund plays a lot of chamber music, and is a member of the Nordic String Quartet. The quartet has performed at music festivals both within and outside the borders of Scandinavia. Their debut CD with music by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen won the 2019 Danish P2 Award in the category "Album of the Year with new classics". Danish, Nancy Dalberg's complete string quartets were also published in collaboration with Dacapo records in 2019. The English Music Web International has added the CD on their list of "Recordings of the year".
Since 2013, Daniel has a permanent position as principal violist in the chamber orchestra Musica Vitae, with whom he has been a soloist on several occasions.
Danusha Waskiewicz learned her art from great musicians. She studied with Prof. Tabea Zimmermann and played under Claudio Abbado’s direction in the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, in the Berliner Philharmoniker and as First Viola in the Mozart Orchestra in 2004. In 2010, she joined the Luzern Festival Orchestra.
Under Abbados’ direction, she also recorded W.A. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Giuliano Carmignola and the Mozart Orchestra (via Deutsche Grammphon). In 2008, she published her performance of the Brandenburgischen Konzerte via Euro Arts. Her last recording as a soloist is the Concerto for Viola and Orchestra by Bela Bartók. Via Harmonia Mundi, she published several performances with violinist Isabelle Faust. Danusha Waskiewicz’ artistic career has been enriched by the numerous talented musicians she has collaborated with. Her latest duo project, Dragonfly, allows her to explore to a completely new world with Irish cellist Naomi Berrill. The sound of their string instruments is accompanied by their voices, redefining the meaning of concentration and of making music together.
After being a junior student with Grigorij Gruzman at the “Akademie für Tonkunst” Darmstadt he studied at the “Musikhochschule Karlsruhe” with André Boanain,at the “Musikhochschule Frankfurt” with Lev Natochenny and at the “Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique Paris” with George Pludermacher. 1st prize at the competition of the “Musikhochschule Karlsruhe” with piano solo in 1996, in 1997 1st prize as a Duo with violin, 3rd prize at the “Newport International Piano Competition” (Great Britain).
In 1998 1st prize at the “International Music Competition Torino” (Italy), 2nd prize at the “Kuhmo International Duo Competition” (Finnland). Radio- and TV productions; performed as a soloist for example with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the “Stuttgarter Kammerorchester”). Lecturer for piano at the “Musikhochschule Karlsruhe”.
The “excellent” (Kurier) young Hungarian Mezzo-soprano Dorottya Láng has earned international acclaim for her “ravishing” (Musik Heute) and “impeccable” talent. John Allison writes in The Telegraph that “she quickly showed herself to be a singer of great musical poise. …with rich and even tone rising to a pure top.”
Born in Budapest in 1986, Ms Láng studied at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (Vienna’s University of Music and the Performing Arts) with Claudia Visca. Her awards and honours include Prize Winner of the 2012 Emmerich Smola Competition, Third Prize at the 2011 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation Song Competition and Prize Winner at the 2013 Mozart Academie competition in Aix-en-Provence. As highlights of the upcoming season Ms Láng is returning to the Viennese Musikverein to perform the mezzo part in the ‘Buch mit sieben Siegeln’ with the Wiener Symphoniker and she will as well sing the role of Judith in the Berliner Philharmonie with the Berliner Symphoniker.
New Zealand-born Edward King began to play the cello at age three, taking his lessons on a 1/16th-sized instrument, and sitting on a tiny stool built by his grandfather. In the following years (after graduating through a series of progressively bigger cellos), he enjoyed studies with James Tennant, Julius Berger and Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, a trio of encouraging and open-minded mentors. This led to prizes at the Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition, the International Cello Competition in Markneukirchen and the Australian Cello Awards. Edward enjoys a multi-faceted career, collaborating with a diverse array of ensembles around Europe and further afield. He is especially interested in projects that unearth new perspectives on long-standing musical traditions, and enjoys dabbling in a wide range of music: early, contemporary, world, chamber, electronic, improvised, rearranged and recomposed. Since 2019 Edward has lectured on the cello at the Leopold Mozart Center of the University of Augsburg, where he enjoys the challenges and inspiration provided by his students. Edward plays on a modern German instrument, made by Robert König in 2017.
Passionate about bringing live performance to everyone, Emma Purslow is a violinist and violist performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player in the UK and abroad.
She is first violin of the Alkyona String Quartet (Royal College of Music Junior Fellows 2022-2023), and has recently enjoyed guest performing with the Navarra Quartet, Corran Quartet and Explore Ensemble. Emma is a sought-after teacher, educator and workshop leader, coaching reguarly for Chetham's School of Music, the National Children's Orchestra, Royal College of Music Junior Department and the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Education and Community Program, in addition to her role as Head of Strings at Newton Preparatory School.
Emma enjoys a varied freelance orchestral career performing regularly with orchestras including the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as well as many others around the UK. Emma led the Street Orchestra of London between 2016-2019. Described by the Guardian as "truly uplifting" this 40-piece ensemble brings live performance to those unable to access it.
As violinist, leader and conductor, Hugo Ticciati imbibes all possible forms of creativity, whether it be performing world premieres in the most prestigious venues around the world, improvising with monks in India, or devising innovative programmes for O/Modernt Orchestra and Festival which he founded in 2011. Alongside his passion to discover and learn from the music of previous epochs and non-western traditions, Hugo embraces the world of contemporary music. To date, over forty works have been written for and dedicated to him by a host of eminent composers, including Erkki-Sven Tüür, Pēteris Vasks, Victoria Borisova-Ollas, Albert Schnelzer and Dobrinka Tabakova.
As the Artistic Director of his own O/Modernt Orchestra, and Artistic Partner with Manchester Camerata, Hugo collaborates regularly with Kremerata Baltica, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra da Camera di Perugia. Most recently, he has been invited to work with Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and Vienna Chamber Orchestra.
Gaining a growing reputation for his innovative and adventurous programming, Hugo is frequently asked to devise and present concerts and festivals with a unique twist. This has led to ongoing collaborations with Wigmore Hall and Kings Place in London. Pursuing his passion for chamber music, Hugo has developed special artistic partnerships with members of the O/Modernt Soloists as well as other internationally renowned artists, notably Evelyn Glennie, Anne Sofie von Otter, Nils Landgren, Steven Isserlis, Angela Hewitt and Olli Mustonen.
Hugo frequently gives master-classes and lectures on music-related subjects both at Scandinavia’s leading specialist music school Lilla Akademien, where he holds the post of Deputy Artistic Director, and other educational institutions around the world.
“His playing was commendable for its fluidity and virtuosity, distinguished by both a fleet-fingered lightness and a rich timbre” (Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times)
István Várdai is highly regarded for his joyous energy, rhythmic vigour and elegant grace in his soulful renditions of solo, chamber music and orchestral repertoire for cello. In his third season as Artistic Director of Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, he continues to present inspiring and creative programmes. Alongside this, István welcomes world-renowned musicians at the Kapostfest Chamber Music Festival in Hungary, which he co-curates with violinist Kristóf Baráti, and continues his soloist career with leading orchestras performing repertoire from Bach to Péter Eötvös.
As a passionate chamber musician, he has performed with Vikingur Olaffson, András Schiff, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Mischa Maisky, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Liza Ferschtman at some of the world’s leading venues. In June 2023, he will play with Hugo Ticciati, Christoffer Sundqvist, Alasdair Beatson in variety of chamber music and orchestral programmes as part of O/Modernt’s Summer Festival in Stockholm.
Double bassist Iurii Gavryliuk began his music studies in Ukraine at the age of 14. In 2011 he received a full scholarship to continue his education at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Rinat Ibragimov. Iurii has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and O/Modernt, among others. In 2016, he participated in the Chamber Music Connects the World festival in Kronberg, Germany.
Julian Arp studied at the Academy of Music ‘Hanns Eisler’ in Berlin with Boris Pergamenschikow. He continued his studies with David Geringas and Eberhard Feltz. As a soloist and chamber musician Julian appears regularly at festivals including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Rheingau Music Festival, Beethovenfest Bonn, Beauvais, Montreux, SoNoRo Bucharest, Stellenbosch, Stift Festival, the Oxford Chamber Music Festival and IMS Prussia Cove. The Duo Arp/Frantz has released three CDs. In the words of Fono Forum: ‘They make music into pure celebration. It all sounds and sings.’ Contemporary composers, including Odeh-Tamimi, Koch, Nemtsov and Dinescu have written pieces for him. He is a co-founder of the festival Zeitkunst, which has been a guest at the Centre Pompidou, Radialsystem Berlin, Israel, England and Rio de Janeiro. Julian regularly gives master-classes in Germany and abroad, and teaches at the University for Arts in Graz, Austria.
Kasmir Uusitupa is one of the most versatile violinists from the new finnish generation. He has studied intensively orchestral and string quartet playing from an early age. He has diverse experience of performing different genres, also with different instruments. His interest in other styles has been there since the beginning, as playing folk music with his family was a major influence on his development as a musician. Uusitupa’s forte is in chamber music, especially in the role of a leader. Therefore he is regularly asked to perform in chamber music festivals as well as to substitute concertmaster positions in major Finnish orchestras. He has appeared often as a soloist ever since his school years. The quick cancellations during covid times showed that he is ready to jump in the role of a soloist even on extremely short notice. Uusitupa has also reinforced his musicianship by studying conducting. Kasmir Uusitupa plays an Italian Spiritus Sorsana violin (~1700), kindly on loan from the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Laura Lunansky is a Dutch violinist with Argentinian origins. She is first violinist of the London-based Behn Quartet, which is recording an album of quartets by female composers in December 2022. She is also a founding member of de Formule, a piano quartet that focuses on interdisciplinary chamber music, and winner the Grote Kamermuziek Prijs in 2018. This season Laura has been performing as concertmaster in an unconducted, interdisciplinary adaption of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream with musicians from PHION, dancers from Introdans and actors from theatre group Oostpool. She has been a recipient of the Villa Musica kammermusik stipendium since 2021, and she appears regularly with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Dresdner Festspielorchester, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Asko| Schoenberg ensemble and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Besides playing the violin she works as a presenter and judge in competitions and concerts.
Liana Svensson has been playing the violin with the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra since its launch in 2014. She grew up in Florida, USA, where she made her concert debut with the Hollywood Philharmonic; since 2005 she has been based in Stockholm. While studying at Lilla Akademien, Liana performed regularly on international stages with Hugo Ticciati. In 2009 she won a gold medal in Berlingske Tidendes Musikkonkurrence, and later received the top prize from the Erik Grudd Foundation. She continued her studies with Marco Rizzi at Mannheim Musikhochschule, and Per Enoksson at Edsberg Manor’s chamber music academy in Stockholm. Since 2018 Liana has been performing as a full-time member of Västerås Sinfonietta, and as an active member of the Stockholm Concert Orchestra and Läckö Castle Opera. With a passion for music education, Liana has returned to Lilla Akademien as violin teacher and ensemble leader.
Lotta Gullberg is a trained singing teacher in classical singing at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and has worked with teaching children and young people in choirsinging for 30 years, primarily as a music teacher atAdolf Fredrik's Music Classes.Since 2018, Lotta Gullberg works at Lilla Akademien Music School, where she teachesstudents of all ages in choir and leads the school's Chamber Choir. In addition to herwork at Lilla Akademien, Lotta leads workshops and courses with choirs around thecountry and has long been a regular singer in Eric Ericson's Chamber Choir.
Conductor, keyboardist and educator, Mark Tatlow is pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Gothenburg. His artistic research centres around developing a decolonising performance praxis for early vocal music. Mark was previously Artistic Director at Drottningholms Slottsteater (2007–13), Professor of Musical Studies at the University College of Opera, Stockholm (2002–12), and is a co-founder of Performing Premodernity, a research project based at Stockholm University. Since 2002 he has been Lilla Akademien’s Artistic Advisor, and acts as Executive Co-ordinator of the school’s on-going rebuilding work. Recent opera performances include compiling and conducting Georgiana, the new award-winning eighteenth-century opera pasticcio commissioned for the fortieth anniversary of the Buxton Festival (UK), conducting and staging Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas for the Stift Festival (Holland), conducting at the Trigonale Festival (Austria) and leading Performing Premodernity's Rousseau Double Bill (Pygmalion and Le Devin du Village) at Confidencen. Future work includes preparing Uttini’s Birger Jarl.
Directed by violinist Hugo Ticciati, the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra is an integral part of O/Modernt. Comprised of top players from all over Europe, the orchestra performs eclectic and adventurous programmes, with anything from arrangements of medieval motets to Bach, Webern and Metallica. The orchestra regularly collaborates with world-renowned soloists such as Evelyn Glennie, Steven Isserlis, Anne Sofie von Otter and Nils Landgren, as well as jazz artists, rappers, choreographers, rock-balancers and more!
Over the last decade, the orchestra has gained an international reputation, with critically-acclaimed performances at the Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wiener Musikverein and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam. Recent and upcoming highlights include concerts in Kölner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie, Berwaldhallen, Kings Place and Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall. The O/Modernt players enjoy a wide range of outreach and educational projects in Sweden, the UK and further afield in India.
Festival 2022
Violins
CLARA BJERHAG
LUCA BOGNÁR
LAIA BRAUN
GABRIEL CORNET
XENIA GEUGELIN
JULIJA IVANOVAITÉ
ISKANDAR KOMILOV
SOFIA KORTELAINEN
MIRIAM LILJIFORS
LAURA LUNANSKY
JOHANNES MARMÉN
VICKY SAYLES
LIANA SVENSSON
HUGO TICCIATI
OSCAR TREITLER
Violas
JENNY AUGUSTINSSON
BRYONY GIBSON-CORNISH
FLORIAN HUBER
PRZEMYSŁAW PUJANEK
FRAUKE STEICHERT
HUGO SVENSSON
Cellos
JULIAN ARP
HEDVIG BENGSTON
REBECKA ERICSSON
CLAUDE FROCHAUX
EDWARD KING
SINÉAD O’HALLORAN
Double Basses
JORDI CARRASCO HJELM
JAKUB BECERRA PIETRYKA
BENJAMIN ZIAI
Oboe
HANNES HEINEMANN
INKEN MENCK
SIOBHAN PARKER
Bassoon
JONATHAN BAUER
ANDERS ENGSTRÖM
Horn
ANNA FERRIOL DE CIURANA
BJÖRN OLSSON
EELIS MALMIVIRTAV
Theorb
KARL NYHLIN
Always searching for new ways to encourage the next generation of young musicians, in 2017 O/Modernt launched its New Generation scheme as part of O/Modernt Academy – an educational platform that grounds musical tuition in a truly holistic approach that takes its inspiration from the academies of ancient Greece. The programme provides young, talented instrumentalists from Stockholm with a unique opportunity to learn from and perform in concert alongside members of the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra as well as world-class soloists. It also includes a series of performance events, masterclasses, open rehearsals and study exchanges devised by O/Modernt. Participants in the New Generation Scheme regularly perform at the annual Festival O/Modernt in Stockholm and often complement the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra when it is on tour. In 2021, New Generation students will be performing with the orchestra at the Konzerthaus in Berlin and the Kölner Philharmonie.
Festival 2022
JAKUB BECERRA PIETRYKA double bass
ARTHUR EDMAN bassoon
HUGO SVENSSON viola
OSCAR MALMQVIST boy soprano
LEO FLORIN MURAVJOV accordion
One of the foremost violinists of her generation.
— The Strad
Priya Mitchell grew up in Oxford and studied with David Takeno at the Yehudi Menuhin School and with Zachar Bron in Germany. She was then chosen as the British representative of the European Concert Halls Organisation ‘Rising Stars‘ Series, which success led to highly acclaimed tours and performances in Europe and abroad.
She has worked with many eminent conductors including Sir Andrew Davis, Yuri Temirkanov, Richard Hickcox, Emmanuel Krivine, Heinrich Schiff and Yan Pascal Tortelier. As a recitalist and chamber musician she has performed extensively at international music festivals including Schleswig-Holstein, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Kuhmo, Lockenhaus, Risør, Heimbach, Ravinia, Lugano, Cheltenham, Bath, Stavanger and Trondheim.
Sascha has quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after viola players in London. Since relocating to the UK in 2017 he has been in high demand as soloist, chamber musician and guest principal with symphony and chamber orchestras alike. He joined the Navarra String Quartet in 2018 and Britten Sinfonia in 2021 as associate leader of the viola section. Last season featured Sascha as soloist in the Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Printzregententheater in Munich and Konzerthaus Berlin along with partner Antoine Tamestit and the AKAMUS Berlin. He is a member of the Oculi Sextet and Sakuntala String Trio, both based in London. Sascha appears frequently as guest principal player of Aurora Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Academy of Ancient Music, English Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, a newly founded project very close to his heart in Romania. He enjoys both gut stringing his viola at different pitches as well as playing jazz in various ensembles. Newly Sascha has joined the professorial staff at Trinity University in London. Sascha joins the O’Modernt with great joy and commitment in both UK and international concerts.
Finnish violinist Sini Simonen enjoys an active international career as a chamber musician and soloist. As the leader of Castalian String Quartet, she is an artist in residence at Wigmore Hall and Oxford University and appears at the world's leading concert halls.
Sini has won top prizes in several major international violin competitions including the Flesch, Lipizer and Cremona competitions.
She studied in Sibelius Academy, Musikhochschule Hannover and Musik-Akademie Basel with Rainer Schmidt and Lara Lev among others.
From 2013 to 2017, Sini was a violinist of Esbjerg Ensemble, one of Denmark's oldest chamber groups. The ensemble is comprised of a string quartet, wind quintet and percussion, and it is known for its innovative programmes combining contemporary and classical music. Working with composers continues to be a vital part of her musical life.
Her chamber music partners have included Ferenc Rados, Robert Levin, Midori and Steven Isserlis
Swedish violinist Sofie Sunnerstam has been a member of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra since early 2019. She has also worked in other orchestras and ensembles in Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. As a part of her active career as a chamber musician she runs the chamber music series Wasahof Underground Chamber Music in Stockholm and has performed in chamber music festivals and concert tours in Europe, New Zealand and South America. Sofie has performed as a soloist with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and several Swedish amateur orchestras.
Victoria was a scholar at Royal College of Music, London and graduated a year early with First Class Honors. She is currently associate leader of London Mozart Players and has recently joined Hovkapellet as principle second violin. Victoria has held contracts as guest concertmaster of BBC Scottish Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Santiago Opera (Chile), Swedish Radio Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra amongst others. Victoria has been regular guest section leader at Australian Chamber Orchestra (Sydney), Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra amongst others. Victoria is a qualified teacher and was Director of Music at Bruton School of music for three years where she reintroduced classical music to the national curriculum in the South West of England. Victoria has been invited to write articles for BBC Music Magazine, The Strad Magazine, The Arts Desk, Tatler Magazine amongst others. Victoria enjoys chamber music and has performed with Gary Hoffman, Radovan Vlatkovic, Gerard Causse, Steven Isserlis, Lars Anders Tomte, Lawrence Power, Sasha Zemtsov, Jean Yves-Thibaudet, Ida Haendal and many others. Victoria plays a violin on loan from the Royal Swedish Opera and a Fetique bow on loan from a private sponsor in Sydney.
Zane Kalniņa was born in Latvia. She did her Bachelor and Master degrees at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. She has also studied for a year at University Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
Zane is a member of Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra since 2017. She has been a guest player in Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga, O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra, European Philharmonic of Switzerland, also participated in various chamber music projects in Latvia, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy and Canada. Zane is a member of ensemble Kremerata Lettonica.
Conditioned reactions are a universal part of the way humans engage with the world. From upbringing to culture, from karma to energetic patterning, we consciously and unconsciously nurture illusions of control. Deep-seated biases also affect our listening habits, and that is why, at O/Modernt, we strive ceaselessly to awaken new kinds of un/conditioned listening that can unsettle our accustomed responses.
Last year’s weeklong musical feast was devoted to a composer who made it his mission to rouse his listeners from their culturally circumscribed slumbers. Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) revels in setting up expectations that are built on the generic styles that were current in his day, but only in order to thwart them – often with some very radical artistic manoeuvres! Haydn thereby enacts and promotes un/conditioned listening within the actual musical language of the eighteenth century. Taking a cue from the Austrian maestro, O/Modernt was delighted to present a programme of concerts that aimed to break free from auditory shackles and celebrate the creative power of the un/conditioned ear.