EMS' Christmas party and Studio 1 relaunch

This year, we were very sensible for all sorts of reasons and decided to throw several parties in the same evening. For one thing, Concerts Sweden, the organisation under which EMS is a department, is undergoing a serious crisis and about 25 people are facing the risk of losing their jobs. So, with regards to this and the general crisis going on in the world, we decided not to have our usual staff Christmas dinner and instead have a joint party with our fantastic, talented, intelligent, artistic, ingenuous and hard-working users. That turned out to be a great idea and nobody wanted to leave. Because we have been having to sort out a problem with the air in studio 1 (caused by mould), the studio has been closed for the most part of 2008. We now have a new mixer there and the studio has been pimped up quite a bit making it a very nice environment to work in, totally problem free. So, naturally, we had yet another thing to celebrate. You can see glamourous photos of the do on Flickr.

We are now very much looking forward to year 2009. Goodness knows what's in store, but so many inspiring things have been happening this year making us full of expectations for the future. We have had more than twenty guest composers and hope that we will be hosting as many next year. Our library has been growing steadily, thanks to the exceptional librarian we have (Pär Johansson, who is also a composer of acousmatic music). A new EMS training course (the professional one) has started and people are working away on projects, big and small.

Taking this opportunity to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Isabel

François Bayle's visit in Stockholm

The hall was packed with students on Friday November 21 2008 at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm where François Bayle held a seminar (the title being ...mes images). Mr. Bayle spoke for three hours non-stop (almost) spell-binding his audience.
On Saturday 22 November a concert was given at Fylkingen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Fylkingen. All pieces were by François Bayle and dedicated to various collegues and friends who are now dead: Arc pour Gérard Grisey, Ombres blanches (Théâtre d'Ombres -2), omaggio a L.Berio, L'Oreille étonnée en salut à Olivier Messiaen, Inventions à Pierre Schaeffer in memoriam, Univers nerveux à Karlheinz Stockhausen in memoriam. Again, the hall was packed with people and the atmosphere concentrated. For many, this was a longed for occasion!

François Bayle at Fylkingen 22 November 2008

Don't miss this concert! And don't miss Fylkingen's 75th anniversary. For one week they will be celebrating 75 years of existence and you will find several items of interest in their programme.

Autumn at EMS

The Autumn is here and the staff at EMS are back from their holidays.

A new EMS course will start shortly. 10 students will be studying electroacoustic music making in depth. There are a whole range of teachers tied to the course.

There are also several evening classes for the initiated and the not so initiated. Check Folkuniversitetet for more information on our courses in electroacoustic composition. You can also get in touch with us at the office on 00468556 08 850.

Fylkingen will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. EMS is borrowing François Bayle from Paris for the occasion. It will be a great pleasure to have him here (22/11 2008). There are many more artists on the programme. Check Fylkingen's website to get the whole picture.

Our guest composer of the summer, Jo Thomas will be performing her new piece, Alpha, composed in studio 2 here at EMS at the Cutting Edge concert series in London on 15 November 2008.

Mats Lindström, artistic and administrative director of EMS and Andrea Neumann and Sabine Ercklentz have just been to Linz, Austria to collect a prize for an interactive international video performance premiered at the Art's Birthday celebration at Moderna Museet in Stockholm 2008.

More news soon,
Isabel

Four hour concert in Hågelbyparken, Stockholm

Centrum för Nutida Konstmusikis presenting its first big event on Sunday 31 August from 12 noon to 4 pm. Spend one whole afternoon listening to sounds, noises, music, and watching dance in this green venue. It will be an occasion to celebrate green sound. 23 different programmes will be heard and seen: electronic, acoustic, notated and improvised music. A modern dance piece will also be presented. Time: 12 noon to 4 pm. Free entry!

Participating organisations:

FRIM (Föreningen för Fri Improviserad Musik)
Great Learning Orchestra
Samtida Musik
SEAMS
Uruppförandeklubben
VEMS (Verksamma på EMS)


/Isabel

The Norberg festival

was a great success! It took place between 24 and 26 July in Norberg (Västmanland) about 2 hours train journey from Stockholm.
Check out their website if you want to find out what took place there.
There were several EMS artists: Sabine Vogel and Erik Drescher, Linus Gabrielsson and our guest composer of the month Jo Thomas from the UK. Also Mats Lindstöm and Sören Runolf played a long duo to celebrate their twentieth anniversary as a duo.
The architecture of the derelict Mimerlaven is quite fascinating and the ensuing sounds and accoustics are well worth a visit. We are already looking forward to the next Norberg festival.

Benjamin Thigpen

Benjamin Thigpen will be guest composer at EMS in April-May 2009. During that time he will also be teaching at EMS.