Anders Emilsson (1963)

Anders Emilsson studied composition with D. Börtz, A. Nilsson and others at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, with Jan Sandström at the College of Music in Piteå and with W. Zimmermann at the Berlin University of the Arts. He also studied the clarinet and church music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and conducting with P. Mägi in Tallinn. Over the years he has, as a composer, worked with materials ranging from folk to spectral harmonies and minimalist structures. His output includes both works for choir (such as Vuolleh and Requiem aeternam) and for orchestra or chamber ensemble. He has done commissions for KammarensembleN, the Dala Sinfonietta and others. His latest work, a concerto for two horns, wind ensemble and percussion commissioned by the Blåsarsymfoniker, is to be premiered by SWE on October 5, 2008 at the Berwald Hall in Stockholm. The soloists are Radovan Vlatkovic and Sören Hermansson.

Vuolleh is built with four south-lapish yoiks. The composition got its form under impression of the integrity, originality and strength of the Lapp culture that the yoik expresses. The first version of the piece was written for saxophone-quartet (2005). It was first performed by the members of the Swedish Wind Ensemble (2005).

Vuolleh is about my encounter with alien music – but also a foreign language. I look at both the music and the text as a foreigner, but I nevertheless feel I want to take them in - to make them part of me. Like someone blindly in love I begin to try to note down this puzzle; the notes – difficult to follow, evading me – and the words, the sound that is for me nothing but timbres, but very meaningfully organised. It is powerful, human, touching, incomprehensible – and self-explanatory.