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Niklas Willén - Conductor


The North German Philharmonic, conducted by its chief conductor and General Music Director, Niklas Willén, played Mozart's score [The Marriage of Figaro] in a fresh and stylish way that was also gallant and always well phrased. It was good to hear the music's pulsating middle voices, the cantilena quality in the woodwind and an exquisite agility from the strings. From the beginning of the overture the orchestra played with amazing eagerness and a beautifully developed sound.

Michael Baumgartl / Norddeutsche Neueste Nachrichten, 12 April 2010

Niklas Willén, the finest Swedish conductor of his generation, is General Music Director of the Volkstheater Rostock and Chief Conductor of the North German Philharmonic Rostock. He will also become Chief Conductor of the WDR Radio Orchestra Köln from Season 2010/11. He has previously held positions as Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the Sønderjyllands Symphony Orchestra in Denmark and Chief Conductor of the Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra. He was born in Stockholm in 1961 where he studied conducting and composition at the city's Royal College of Music and where his conducting teachers included Jorma Panula. Recent engagements have seen Niklas Willén tour in Europe with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, make debuts with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the National University of Mexico and the North German Philharmonic Orchestra (both with immediate re-invitations) whilst returning to major orchestras like the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Flanders Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestra.

The main focus of Niklas Willén's career is concentrated throughout Scandinavia and the Nordic countries with several of the major orchestras of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland and the major Swedish opera houses where he regularly conducts the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra with occasional forays beyond that have seen him conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders, Brabants Orkest and Noordhollands Philharmonisch Orkest in the Netherlands, the Nordwestdeutsch Philharmonie in Germany as well as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and Ulster Orchestra as well as having spectacular successes conducting the Swedish Radio Choir. An unwavering list of fine concert reviews range from Germany "Willén accentuated his great art and his intense musical interpretation of the Helios Overture and even more with Sibelius's second." (Wolfburger Allgemeine Zeitung) to Sweden with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra "Beethoven's 7th Symphony was in a class of its own …" (Dagens Nyheter) attest to his ability and the UK "Totally enthralling under Willén's baton, the tales of Scheherazade in Rimsky-Korsakov's much-loved work were conveyed with intuitive musicianship ……." (Bournemouth Echo). He has also conducted opera at Göteborgs Operan, the Royal Theatre in Stockholm and Norwegian National Opera in Oslo in productions of "Il Barbière de Siviglia", "Flying Dutchman", "Madama Butterfly", "Turandot" and première's of several new works that have included Peter Bengtson's opera "The Maidens". He also conducts productions for Stockholm's "Folkoperan" and Värmlandsoperan in Karlstad.

Niklas Willén has strong, distinct affiliations to repertoire of the classical, romantic and contemporary eras and he has become a busy recording artist with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Royal Opera in Stockholm, Göteborgs Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Opera, Sønderjyllands Symphony Orchestra (Prokoviev's complete Piano Concertos; "Willén is a superbly sympathetic partner, coaxing mischief from the orchestra to match Marshev at his cheekiest", "Stunning and superb" and in Nielsen; "Willén's Nielsen is very adroitly paced …… Willén's is a great performance …… a classic Helios Overture), Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (Volume 2 of Naxos' complete orchestral music by Alfvén: "Listen as Niklas Willén teases the skittish polka (No. 6) from Alfvén's 'The Prodigal Son' ballet suite, or steers his players through the vehement fugue that rounds out his Symphony No. 2, and you'll appreciate why this release commands unreserved praise.").

July 2010


Discography

COMPOSER Work Label / CD
ALFVEN Midsummer Vigil
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland
Naxos 8.555852
ALFVEN Symphony No.1 in F minor
Swedish Rhapsody No. 2 " Uppsala"
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Naxos 8.553962
ALFVEN Symphony No. 2
The Prodigal son
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland
Naxos 8.555072
ALFVEN Symphony No. 3
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Naxos 8.553729
ALFVEN Symphony No. 4
Festival Overture
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8.557284
ALFVEN Symphony No. 5
Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8.557612
ALFVEN Synnove Solbakken
Bygdesaga
Elegie
Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8.557828
BENGTSON The Maids
Royal Swedish Opera
Phono Suecia PSCD96
NILSSON Concerto for Organ
Erik Lundkvist
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Phon Suecia PSCD53
"The Swedish Recorder"
Dan Laurin
works by Lyne, Sanstrom, Lindh, Muller, Mossenmark
Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra
BIS 685
"The Romantic Bassoon"
works by Hummel, Dupuy, Danzi
Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra
BIS 705
PER NÖRGAARD Percussion Concerto
Intim IMCD 019
AULIS SALLINEN Symphony No 2,
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Intim IMCD 019
HANS GEFORS Scenes from Christina
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Phono Suecia PSCD 73
KARIN REHNQVIST The Sun Song
Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra
Intim IMCD 037
"Swedish Romantic Violin concertos"
Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Naxos 8.554287S
THEODOR KULLAK Piano Concerto
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Hyperion CDA67086
DREYSCHOCK Piano Concerto
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Hyperion CDA67086
IVAR HALLSTRÖM Duke Magnus and the Mermaid,
Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8.225214-15
PROKOFIEV The 5 Piano Concertos
Sonderjyllands Symphony Orchestra
Danacord DACOCD 584-585
NIELSEN Aladdin suite
Pan and Syrinx
Masquerade
Sonderjyllands Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8.557164
RANGSTROM Partita for violin and orchestra
The song of the sea
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Phono Suecia PSCD712
ED Hyss for orchestra
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
db productions dbCD43
NORDIN Residues for orchestra and LaPorte instrument
sleep now in the fire for Alto saxophone and orchestra
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
SR records SRCD 2031, 2032

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