NEW FILM Composer Portrait: Matthew Peterson
On October 3, Matthew Peterson’s award-winning *Högalidsmässan* (The Sanctuary Mass) will be performed at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. In this portrait film about composer Matthew Peterson, he talks about the seed that grows into music, his out-of-tune piano, aggressive roosters, and which interval is the most "Matthew Peterson."
Matthew Peterson was born in 1984 in North Dakota, USA. He has recently completed two seasons as Composer in Residence for the Dalasinfoniettan, a symphony for the Swedish Radio Choir, and a critically acclaimed summer opera in Vattnäs, a stone's throw from his home in Smedjebacken. The elk hunting season is over for this year. Now, commissioned works and concerts await in Sweden and around the world.
This composer portrait is produced by Gehrmans with support from Stim, in collaboration with Josef Sjöblom (filming/editing), and with additional video material from Musik i Dalarna. The music in the film is used with generous permission from Sveriges Radio, Sofia Vokalensemble, Dalasinfoniettan/Musik i Dalarna, and Proprius/Naxos Sweden. The interview was conducted in Smedjebacken, Dalarna, in August 2026.
Do you enjoy our composer portraits? Here is the playlist on YouTube! It will be updated with exciting portraits throughout 2026 and 2027.
HÖGALIDSMÄSSAN / THE SANCTUARY MASS
Högalidsmässan, with lyrics by Gunilla Lindén, was written for the 100th anniversary of Högalid Church. In 2024, Matthew Peterson was awarded the Lilla Christ Johnson Prize for *Högalidsmässan*: "A major sacred work that, in both its accessibility and artistic design, connects to the great mass repertoire but with its own contemporary tone."
Now, *Högalidsmässan* is available in an international edition: The Sanctuary Mass, with German and English lyrics translated by Florian Benfer and Ingrid Eng. It is being released in conjunction with the German premiere in Leipzig on October 3.
Saturday, October 3 at 9:00 PM, St. Thomas Church, Leipzig: The Sanctuary Mass (*Högalidsmässan*) will be performed by the Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir, Leon Tscholl (organ), the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Florian Benfer. The concert is part of chor.com, Europe's largest convention for choral and church music, and will be broadcast on German radio in October. During the convention, there will also be a reading session where the audience is invited to sing *The Sanctuary Mass* together with the Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir and ask questions of Matthew Peterson.
On November 13, Proprius will release the album *Högalidsmässan*, recorded at Högalid Church by the Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir, Leon Tscholl (organ), members of the Royal Swedish Orchestra, and conductor Florian Benfer.
Read more about Matthew Peterson at gehrmans.se
PRESS INQUIRIES: Janna Vettergren, Promotion and Communications Manager, Gehrmans Musikförlag, janna.vettergren@gehrmans.se, +46 (0)70-757 68 14