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TRAINING CHORAL CONDUCTORS IN THE CHORAL CULTURE OF SWEDEN INTERVIEWS WITH SEVEN PROMINENT SWEDISH CONDUCTORS R. PAUL CRABB R. Paul Crabb Director of Choral Activities University of Missouri [email protected] 32 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 56 Number 7 uccessful conductors exhibit mul- merous choral compositions, many that tiple qualities enabling them to have become a part of the choral canon. Scommunicate and to perform at Although he passed away in 2013, his stu- a high level. Regardless of the ensemble’s dents have continued his legacy through age or level of profi ciency, accomplished their prominent positions in choral music conductors possess a large gestural vocabu- throughout the world.1 lary, knowledge of the score, organiza- This author spent two months in Swe- tional skills, and the psychological tools to den during a semester-long research leave motivate and to develop the talents of each observing and interviewing prominent ensemble. While some of these skills are conductors in an eff ort to discover what easily identifi able, conductors might fi nd they deem most important to achieve suc- some factors less tangible and therefore cess as conductors and conducting teach- more challenging to implement in their ers. How did they get their start in music? own practice and in their teaching. With a What talents and abilities do they identify long list of priorities and a limited amount as critical for successful conductors? To of rehearsal time, each conductor and what do they attribute their rise to promi- conducting teacher must make choices to nence? Could their experiences help us include some factors and to exclude others. to improve our craft and more positively What skills and talents do some of today’s impact the training of future musicians in successful conductors fi nd indispensable? the United States? This author hopes to When and how did they acquire these identify common threads that may have skills? What would they include in their contributed to the success of this group list of priorities necessary for developing of conductors that we in North America future conductors? might incorporate into our own practice The music world has long known about and the education of our students to help Sweden’s singing culture. Considering facilitate their careers. Sweden’s relatively small population of Six of the interviewees generously nine million, an impressive number of suc- gave of their time for personal interviews cessful Swedish performers came into the in Sweden. Ragnar Bohlin, born and spotlight during the twentieth and twenty- educated in Sweden but currently living fi rst centuries. The conductor, teacher, in San Francisco, graciously agreed to pedagogue, and innovator Eric Ericson an interview via Skype. The interviewees gained attention in the United States and were asked the same series of questions. the world through his master classes, tours, Answers were transcribed and then edited fi lm (The Magic Flute), and recordings. He for length to fi t into the structure of this also commissioned and premiered nu- article. CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 56 Number 7 33 TRAINING CHORAL CONDUCTORS IN Conductors Interviewed and Current Positions Professor at RCM) but continues to compose and to conduct choirs internationally. Lena Ekman Frisk is assistant profes- sor at Malmö Academy of Music. In Cecilia Rydinger Alin was recently addition to her teaching duties, she is appointed vice chancellor and professor director of the Southern Choral Center, at RCM. In 2008 she became the fi rst chair of the Swedish Choral Associa- female conductor of the renowned men’s tion, and conductor of Motet Choir of choir Orphei Drängar, which began in Kristianstad. She spent one year as an 1853. She has freelanced regularly in exchange faculty member at Bowling Green University opera houses across Europe. (Ohio). Ragnar Bohlin was appointed director Erik Westberg is professor of choral of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus conducting and choral singing at Piteå in 2007. He teaches at the San Francisco College of Music, Luleå Technical Uni- Conservatory of Music, is artistic direc- versity. His professional choir, the Erik tor of Cappella SF, and has served as Westberg Vocal Ensemble, is well known visiting professor at Indiana University. through their recordings and their many commissions of new works. He also How did you get your start in music? Who were taught for one year at Wesleyan University (Connecticut). your major infl uences? Mats Nilsson is associate professor of Frisk: My mother was a piano teacher and my father conducting at Royal College of Music was an organist and church choir director, so I grew up (RCM), Stockholm, and also directs playing piano and singing in my father’s choirs in church. music for the Maria Magdalena Church. My father was also a good jazz pianist, and he discovered He formerly conducted and taught in a very good jazz pianist at the Malmö College of Music. Australia and Norway. I admired this man, Kjell Edstrand, and I took private lessons from him. I actually practiced much more jazz Gary Graden was born in the United piano than classical! States but has lived in Sweden for more than thirty years. He is director of mu- Westberg: Singing with Eric Ericson was most impor- sic at the Stockholm Cathedral and St. tant. Not so much his lessons, although they were very Jacob’s Church and also performs with nice, but just to see him rehearse—his hands and his way his trio, WÅG, exploring improvisational of playing the piano. He meant a lot to me, and we be- repertoire for voice and instruments. He came very close. I often visited him at his home over the teaches summer sessions in the United States at Westmin- years and then at the hospital during his last years. Also, ster Choir College (New Jersey). the Ear Training and Orchestra teachers at Alfred Fredriks Musikklasser,2 and Kjell Ingebretsen,3 a Norwegian opera Robert Sund retired from a career conductor, had a great infl uence. as a performer (Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Kvintetten Olson, and several in- Nilsson: My piano teacher, Greta Ericson, was infl u- strumental ensembles) and as conductor ential, and of course Eric Ericson. Another infl uential (Allmänna Sången, Orphei Drånger, La conducting teacher was Anders Öhrwall. I don’t know if Cappella, Uppsala Musikskolas Kam- that is a known name, but I sang in his Bach Choir, which markör, Robert Sund Chamber Choir, is where I got my fi rst interest in Baroque music. He was 34 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 56 Number 7 THE CHORAL CULURE OF SWEDEN very important for me when I moved to Stockholm and I was young and stupid and said “yes.” I realized then started my studies. But Eric, of course, was a major infl u- that I must learn something about this. I had taken piano ence during my training. I must mention his [Ericson’s] lessons, but I didn’t know anything about theory, history, beautiful hands that could attract the highest level of sing- counterpoint, conducting…nothing. I applied at the Royal ing but also just how he worked with people, his generos- College, and they accepted me even though I was twenty- ity. And he always was able to make music fi lled with joy. nine and the age limit was twenty-eight. Technically, he could achieve the ultimate balance or fi x intonation by focusing on one tone and drawing that tone Alin: There were one or two more teachers who infl u- to the choir’s attention. Immediately the chord would fall enced me not just for “what” and “how” we played but by into place. He did teach us about chords and the hierarchy developing my thoughts and my ideas of the possibilities, of chords, the fi fths and relationships of intonation. bringing together aesthetics and ethics. And of course Eric did too, but with Eric I learned the repertoire, the way Graden: I already had a lot of passion when I was a of handling a choir—not only the conducting technique child in Rhode Island. I started in the boys’ choir, and the but the sound space he had under his own elbows. I sang director was also my piano teacher and singing teacher, with him for six years in the Chamber Choir at the Royal and he showed a love for choral music. He toured with College. Eric was the one who helped hire me with the the boys’ choir in Europe for a six-week tour in 1968 and Allmänna Sången, I got to know many years later. This that was really important. Infl uential conductors would was my fi rst step for a professional career. Without Eric I include Gerald Mack4 and Eric Ericson. After I fi nished probably would have been a church musician instead of at Hartt, I came to Sweden. I wanted to take one course what I do today. I remember in 2012 I went to see Eric with Eric for three months or so, like one can do in the (age 94) and mentioned some of the conducting jobs I States. I wasn’t in school, but I was a good tenor, and he had scheduled. I said, “I guess I’d better be prepared asked me to sing. I told Eric I wanted to study conduct- for these jobs.” He turned to me and said [approximate ing, and he told me I couldn’t. The other students had English translation], “Damn you if you don’t!” He said auditioned for these spots and I had not auditioned, and it with love, but he never lost that intensity or lowered his before I could study with him he required me to audition.

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