Swedish Radio Choir

Based at the Berwaldhallen in Stockholm, the Swedish Radio Choir has promoted Swedish music but also performs an international repertory. One of the more durable radio-associated performing groups in Europe, the choir benefited from the long tenures of its first directors and forged a distinctive sound. The Swedish Radio Choir (Swedish: Radiokören) was founded in 1925 as part of the national radio network Sveriges Radio, and it remains a part of that entity. The choir's 32 singers are professionals. The first conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir was Gustaf Malm, but after a short time, he was replaced by Axel Nylander, who was succeeded in 1939 by Einar Ralf. In 1952, Eric Ericson became the choir's director, remaining in his post until 1982. He shaped the Swedish Radio Choir as it is known today, with a large repertory of foreign works in addition to Swedish music and a distinctive sound. Ericson programmed contemporary music by the likes of Paul Hindemith, Frank Martin, Igor Stravinsky, and Aaron Copland, and the choir's international reputation grew. Ericson was also a composer, and an early recording by the choir Swedish Contemporary Vocal Music, Vol. 1: Eric Ericson, appeared in 1987 on the Phono Suecia label. On that release, the group was joined by the Stockholm Chamber Choir. Later conductors of the Swedish Radio Choir have included Anders Öhrwall (1982-1985), Gustaf Sjökvist (1986-1994), and Tõnu Kaljuste (1995-2001). Kaljuste, from Estonia, was the choir's first foreign conductor. He made several recordings with the group and has remained active as conductor laureate. His successors were Stefan Parkman (2002-2005), Peter Dijkstra (2007-2018), and, as of 2020, Kaspars Putniņš. Since 1979, the choir has been based at the Berwaldshalle in Stockholm. Many of its conductors have programmed contemporary Swedish composers such as Karin Rehnqvist, Sven-David Sandström, and Jacob Mühlrad. The choir has welcomed various guest conductors, including Daniel Harding, who led the group in a Berlin Philharmonic performance of Mozart's Mass in C minor, K. 427. The Swedish Radio Choir has recorded for various labels, focusing on those with the technical skills to capture its vocal shades. These have included ECM, Channel Classics, and BIS, where it released a recording of Schumann's Missa Sacra, Op. 147, in 2023. ~ James Manheim, Rovi