33 professional singers together form the Swedish Radio Choir – since the 1960s recognized as a world-leading a cappella choir, often engaged by orchestral conductors such as Claudio Abbado and Riccardo Muti for concerts, tours and recordings. The development began in 1952 when Eric Ericson became principal conductor of the choir. Sweden had a number of composers with new ideas who found a vehicle for their visions in the Swedish Radio Choir. Anders Öhrwall took over as principal conductor in the 1980s, introducing a new repertoire in which the focus was on baroque music. The choir also started working with Riccardo Muti in the 1980s. During Gustaf Sjökvist’s tenure, the work with new music continued. The choir increased its commitments abroad, including extensive collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Claudio Abbado. When the Estonian conductor Tõnu Kaljuste became the choir’s first non-Swedish principal conductor, the repertoire extended towards the east. The choir now encountered old, Russian composers and a repertoire of new music by composers such as Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Please visit the official website of the
Swedish Radio Choir
