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, <a href="spotify:artist:2BxtRNfFqHkwkr33FikiIq">Eric Ericson</a> 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. <a href="spotify:artist:2BxtRNfFqHkwkr33FikiIq">Ericson</a> programmed contemporary music by the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:3u1fWmwpwPOmMelTAo0Gb8">Paul Hindemith</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0RFA6ka89RHDXV9VoxaURb">Frank Martin</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7ie36YytMoKtPiL7tUvmoE">Igor Stravinsky</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0nJvyjVTb8sAULPYyA1bqU">Aaron Copland</a>, and the choir's international reputation grew. <a href="spotify:artist:2BxtRNfFqHkwkr33FikiIq">Ericson</a> was also a composer, and an early recording by the choir Swedish Contemporary Vocal Music, Vol. 1: Eric Ericson, appeared in 1987 on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Phono+Suecia%22">Phono Suecia</a> label. On that release, the group was joined by the Stockholm Chamber Choir.

Later conductors of the Swedish Radio Choir have included <a href="spotify:artist:5PIywc91wNBy3rpcXFiU28">Anders Öhrwall</a> (1982-1985), Gustaf Sjökvist (1986-1994), and <a href="spotify:artist:4MECrpIPG1u3XtHd2YXbrT">Tõnu Kaljuste</a> (1995-2001). <a href="spotify:artist:4MECrpIPG1u3XtHd2YXbrT">Kaljuste</a>, 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), <a href="spotify:artist:4LUikUVERZSzQNjFaaMiDA">Peter Dijkstra</a> (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 <a href="spotify:artist:22V1sU3X8UJAc9bdMVMNUc">Karin Rehnqvist</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:00AUnQaXE6XTTZvr7kgNHb">Sven-David Sandström</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0P9g1ss8CfLwU62fzm8Ldf">Jacob Mühlrad</a>. The choir has welcomed various guest conductors, including <a href="spotify:artist:3sjupE75AphhTX12fgkQv6">Daniel Harding</a>, who led the group in a <a href="spotify:artist:6uRJnvQ3f8whVnmeoecv5Z">Berlin Philharmonic</a> performance of <a href="spotify:artist:4NJhFmfw43RLBLjQvxDuRS">Mozart</a>'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 <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ECM%22">ECM</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Channel+Classics%22">Channel Classics</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22BIS%22">BIS</a>, where it released a recording of Schumann's Missa Sacra, Op. 147, in 2023. ~ James Manheim, Rovi