Erika Hammarberg - winner of the Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 2024
The winner of the Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 2024 has been crowned. After reviewing entries from countries around the world, the jury has decided to award the prize to Erika Hammarberg for her piece "Such an evening" after a poem by Solveig von Schoultz. The price amounts to SEK 60,000, certification and publication of the piece by Gehrmans Musikförlag. The award ceremony and the premiere of the piece will take place at Allmänna Sången's spring concert on May 4, 2024.
Motivation of the jury
“The piece is very expressive, with a romantic manner that skillfully does justice to the text. The work's central musical motif is repeated in different ways in the well-structured composition. The harmonies and their meaningful dissonances are artfully executed and flow seamlessly into each other. This creates a story with many moods. The composer has a deep understanding of choral sound and techniques.”
The composer
Erika Hammarberg moves musically between jazz and art music. Her music is characterized by linear melodies, multi-layered rhythmic intensity and harmonics that range from triads to complex clusters. She has composed music for big band, choir, chamber orchestra and string quartet and is artistic director, pianist, arranger and composer for the big band Elaria Orchestra. In 2022, the debut album Ikigai was released .
After studies in piano pedagogy with a classical orientation, Erika took the path via music theory and arranging to master's studies in composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm for both jazz composers and classically oriented teachers such as Örjan Fahlström, Peter Danemo, Johan Hammerth and Ann-Sofi Söderqvist. Erika Hammarberg is lecturer in composition at Örebro University. She was born in Umeå in 1975.
Words from the winner
- Choir singing has been a natural part of my musicianship and composition since childhood. As my artistic focus is on composing for acoustic instruments, I often write for choir.
- I want to preserve the Swedish choir tradition. I also believe that it is important that new, exciting choral music is continuously composed and performed in the world. Therefore, this award is a very nice initiative for continued development and I am very proud and honored to receive it!
- Solveig von Schoultz's poem conveys a strong approach and a clear own identity. From initially being about rest after a long day's work, the text for me has gradually turned to being about death. This transformation can perhaps be heard in the piece and the final journey sensed towards the end? I improvised the form, sound world and basic approach of the music at the piano while reading the text. Lucky I recorded with my mobile phone!
Almängen Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award
Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award was arranged for the first time in 2013 when Allmänna Sången celebrated fifty years as a mixed choir. In connection with the anniversary, the choir together with Anders Wall announced a competition for female composers. The purpose of the competition is to draw attention to female composers and their work, as well as to stimulate the creation of new art music that can enrich and develop choral musicians of our time.
The competition is international and is aimed at female composers regardless of profession or nationality. The entries are reviewed by a well-reputed international jury consisting of prominent conductors and composers. This year the jury consisted of Nana Forte, John Høybye , Robert Sund and Maria Goundorina.
Collaborative partners
The Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award has been made possible through collaboration with Gehrmans Musikförlag AB and support from the Kjell and Märta Beijers Foundation.
Contact
Project manager Karolina Jörgensen: award@allmannasangen.se