"The most characteristic feature of Mikael Edlund's music is its moulding of the course of events, of something constantly in progress, growing or disappearing - not frozen states or objects or “architectonic” formal structures in the traditional sense. Usually he is clear at an early stage, before anything is put on paper, about a conclusive basic idea and the conception of a simple “outer” form. After the selection of musical material and instruments, there follows a laborious and time-consuming period of ever more detailed sketching (often in collaboration with the musicians who are to play) - the real composing. All this gives the music a singularly live, almost physical presence, which may account for the success, unusual for a contemporary composer, which Edlund has enjoyed even with audiences less accustomed to concert-going. (Ove Nordwall, musicologist)
Mikael Edlund (born 1950) started his musical career in rock and jazz music. He played in his teens in various groups where he also made his own arrangements, which over time developed in an increasingly experimental direction. Eventually he discovered that the goal of his musical creation lay within the so-called "serious" music - the turning point came when he heard Bela Bartok's String Quartet no. 4. Via studies in musicology at Uppsala University, he began studying composition at the Academy of Music in Stockholm for, among other things, Ingvar Lidholm and Arne Mellnäs.
Mikael Edlund is mainly associated with chamber music. His production is not large, which can be explained by the fact that he works extremely meticulously - every note, every chord is laid with the greatest care. He also likes to work in close collaboration with the musicians who then perform his works.
Mikael Edlund's definitive breakthrough came with the string quartetBrains and Dancin'(1981), which is considered by many to be one of the best Swedish string quartet works ever written. It was a huge success and within three years of its premiere in Bergen in 1981 it had already been taken up by five ensembles and performed on more than 80 occasions. Among the ensembles that have performed the work are the Arditti Quartet, the Berwald Quartet, the Zetterqvist Quartet, the Kontraquartetten and Uppsala
Chamber soloists.
Another frequently performed work isTrio Sun(1980) for clarinet, bassoon and piano (alternatively soprano-saxophone (alto-saxophone), tenor-saxophone and piano). In his list of works we also find the piano pieceFantasy of a City(1982), composed for Mats Widlund, piano trioBlue Garden(1992-1994) written for Trio Mats (Zetterqvist, Rondin and Widlund), and the more extensive ensemble works,Leavesfor 8 female voices, piano, harp and seven percussionists, andMusic for double wind quintet.
In 2009, Mikael Edlund was awarded the Järnåker prize for the violin pieceSolo.
Mikael Edlund is the son of composer Lars Edlund.
