Composer's radio etc.

The Society of Swedish composers broadcasts music by Swedish composers on the Internet under the name Composer's radio. This is not really news, since the broadcasting has been going on since 2005. What is new, though, is that all new programmes will be in English, starting March 2009. A nice complement to Electroacoustic Sweden!

Tamas Ungvary has posted another video from EMS. It's a jam session with Tamas and fellow composer/pianist Michael Smith.

Jesper Olsson writes about Swedish sound art and our new master's programme in daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet (only in Swedish, sorry).

And welcome back, Isabel! /Pär

Isabel back at EMS

I'm back in my job! :-) It's great to be back.
Digitizing the archives is great fun. It's really interesting listening to what was being done here in the early 90s. So I'm carrying on with that too. The EMS database will be something of a cultural treasure. Especially for researchers...

About the film, see entry beneath! That was from the days when EMS was located on Kungsgatan 8 in Stockholm. The studios are now on Söder Mälarstrand 61 (München bryggeriet), Stockholm too. Fantastic equipment… Things don't look as Star Trek-like anymore which is a shame really.

/Isabel

Tamas Ungvary at EMS 1974

Here's a video of composer Tamas Ungvary using the EMS hybrid studio/synthesiser in 1974. The studio was equipped with 24 analogue oscillators, digitally controlled by an 18-bit DEC PDP-15 computer. Thanks for this wonderful piece of nostalgia, Tamas! /Pär

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