Master's degree in sound art etc.

Since Isabel has left (although she now works in our digitisation project), I (Pär Johansson) will try to post some news here occasionally.

Dramatiska institutet offer a master's degree in sound art in collaboration with EMS.

I've created an aggregate feed for this and some other blogs with news and reflections on Swedish electroacoustic/contemporary music (mostly in Swedish).

/Pär

Guest composers in spring

This spring 2009 EMS will be receiving the following guest composers:

Philippe Moënne-Loccoz, from Annecy in France (13-25 March)
Benjamin Thigpen, Paris, France (20 April to 16 May)
Neil Morris O'Connor, Dublin, Ireland (dates to be confirmed)
Gregorio Jimenez (15 April to 23 April)
Jose Luis (17 April to 23 April)

We look forward to having them in our studios and to getting to know them and their work.

/Isabel

Changes at EMS

Well, in retrospect, the previous entry is quite ironic. Yes, we ARE suffering from the major crisis that Concerts Sweden/Rikskonserter are undergoing and yes, we have to put up with staff cuts. In fact I was laid off! In a few months' time I will no longer be working at EMS. I have had a wonderful time here at EMS which is a fantastic resource, quite unique in its kind. Anyone who is interested in the electroacoustic medium will agree that this is a great environment. Once you are a user of EMS you can book studio time and use up-to-date software and analogue synthesizers etc, and use the library with its collection of subject-related books. It's a brilliant working space. A bit like a public library with studios. Luckily, I'm still a user so I will go on coming to EMS and keep my fingers crossed that this is just a short interlude before something more constructive happens!

/Isabel

Happy 2009! …?

What will 2009 have in store for EMS? This is the big question at the moment as we are waiting to see how our beloved institution will be affected by the major crisis at Concerts Sweden (Rikskonserter), under which we are a department since the mid nineties. It may mean staff cuts, which would be very unfortunate, in a time when we are actually expanding work-wise more than ever. More and more composers from all over the world are interested in coming here to work. Those who have been here say they love the atmosphere and find working and composing here very easy (that's because we really do our best to make them feel comfortable!). Over the past few years, our connection to the Norberg festival has grown and we are already looking forward to the summer. The archive project where Arkivet för Ljud och Bild (i.e. the department for audiovisiual media at the Swedish Royal Library) is a strong partner. That's just a few of all the projects in which we are involved. Keep your fingers crossed for us and don't hesitate to show your moral support!

/Isabel

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.