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 |