CV in English

Photo: Jan-Olav Wedin

(May, 2023)

Bengt Tommy Andersson (b. 1964) lives in Stockholm (Sweden) and Rome (Italy) and is, since his debut in the beginning of the 1990’s, a conductor much in demand and he is one of the most successful Swedish conductors of his generation. He studied conducting at Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm (The Royal College of Music) in the 1980’s with professor Jorma Panula, professor Eric Ericson and professor Kjell Ingebretsen, and during shorter periods also with Peter Eötvös, Sergiu Commissiona and Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Andersson recurrently conducts all symphony orchestras and most chamber orchestras in Sweden. He was Music Director of KammarensembleN (an ensemble for contemporary music) 1994–99, and Principal Conductor of Stockholms Läns Blåsarsymfoniker (Stockholm Wind Ensemble, Sweden’s largest professional wind orchestra) 1997–2005.
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Andersson is currently Professor of Orchestral Conducting at Kungliga Musikhögskolan (The Royal College of Music) in Stockholm, alongside his work as a freelance conductor. He also teaches orchestration, and lectures and writes on orchestral history. During the years 2003–09, he was Professor of Orchestral Studies at Gothenburg University School of Music (Högskolan för scen och musik i Göteborg) — an international masters programme for orchestral musicians — and Artistic Leader and Principal Conductor of Swedish National Orchestra Academy in Gothenburg.
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B. Tommy Andersson is also a composer, with an output of more than 130 compositions.

Stockholm Concert Hall, 26 January 2011, Steve Reich Festival

He has also appeared with orchestras in thirteen other countries (Great Britain, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Lithuania and Uruguay) with orchestras like BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Cardiff, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (England), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Geneva, Switzerland), Sinfonia Lahti (Finland), Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and ASKO ensemble (Amsterdam).

In concert with Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Rudolfinum, Prague, January 2010

During the 2012–13 season, he had conducting engagements with several orchestras, including The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, and Dalasinfoniettan. Each season he has had numerous engagements. In 2009–10, for instance, he conducted, among other, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Prague), Göteborgs Symfoniker (Gothenburg), The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Stockholm), Gothenburg Opera, and Norrlandsoperan (Umeå).

After a performance of Reflections with Anders Paulsson (soprano saxophone) and The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Stockholm Concert Hall, April 2009

Opera has been important throughout his career, with recurrent conducting engagements at opera houses in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Umeå, Malmö, Karlstad and with the Vadstena Summer Opera Festival (Vadstena Academy). He has also conducted several productions at the opera schools in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Several of these opera productions have been highly acclaimed in the press, especially Die Geisterinsel (Johann Friedrich Reichardt) at Vadstena Academy 1992, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven) at Norrlandsoperan 1997, Liten Karin (Ivar Hallström) at Vadstena Academy in Kalmar 1997, Macbeth2 (Jan Sandström) at GöteborgsOperan 2001, Strändernas svall (Reine Jönsson) at Vadstena Academy 2001, Lulu (Alban Berg) at GöteborgsOperan 2002, William (B. Tommy Andersson) at Vadstena Academy 2006, The Importance of Being Earnest (B. Tommy Andersson), Vadstena Academy 2017.

Nina Stemme in Vadstena 1993, during the production of Fernando Paër’s opera I Molinari, conducted by B Tommy Andersson.

B. Tommy Andersson has a wide repertoire, comprising works from the Baroque era to our time. He takes a special interest in Late Romantic and Early 20th Century music, but he is also very interested in Contemporary music, being a composer himself. He has so far conducted the first performances of 234 works — including 16 operas. Beside the standard repertoire, he has conducted several large and complex works with great success, like Alban Berg’s two operas Wozzeck & Lulu, Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphony and Luigi Dallapiccola’s opera Il prigioniero.

To the left: With the score to Wozzeck, 1999.

To the right: Verdi’s Requiem in Luleå Cathedral, April 1997 (Soloists: Karin Ingebäck, Ingrid Tobiasson, Lars-Erik Jonsson, Johan Schinkler)

B. Tommy Andersson has composed since he was 11 years old and his music has been performed on many occasions. At the age of fourteen, he had a piece performed in public for the first time and already when he was fifteen a symphonic poem was played in concert. He studied composition with Sven-Eric Johanson, Hans Eklund and Sven-David Sandström (more information under Life Story as a Composer).

During the last few years, the music of B. Tommy Andersson has attracted more and more attention and 16–19 April 2009 the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra presented a four day long ” Composer Weekend”, a festival focusing entirely on his music, where a large number of his compositions were performed: two orchestral concerts, one chamber music concert and, finally, one choral music concert. During this festival, B. Tommy Andersson’s music was met with great enthusiasm and received very good reviews (see Reviews). During the 2014–2015 season, he was Composer-in.Association with BBC National Orchestra of Wales. During this season the orchestra played 7 of his pieces, including the premiere of Pan, for organ and orchestra, in a Prom Concert in Royal Albert Hall, London.

One of his most frequently performed compositions is Apollo (1995), a concerto for solo percussion and orchestra, which has been played by six Swedish orchestras (also on tour) and a Chinese orchestra in Beijing. Apollo is available on CD with percussionist Markus Leoson and Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the composer. Also available on CD is Intrada (1989) for wind and percussion and Impromptu (1987) for flute (originally clarinet) and vibraphone. In April 2009, Phono Suecia released a new CD, Satyricon, featuring music of B. Tommy Andersson, with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra conducted by B. Tommy Andersson, Swedish Radio Choir conducted by Peter Dijkstra, Vocal Ensemble Notus conducted by Olof Boman and pianist Magnus Svensson. His music can also be found on several other recordings (See Discography for details).

Recording Apollo with Markus Leoson and Sundsvall Chamber Orchestra, 7 January 1996

In April 2004 Satyricon, choreographic poem for large orchestra, was premiered by Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck and was acclaimed as a considerable success, and so was Reflections, for soprano saxophone and orchestra, first performed by Anders Paulsson and Jönköping Sinfonietta conducted by the composer. In the summer of 2006 his chamber opera William was a great success in a production at Vadstena Opera Academy. In December 2010, the dance work Warriors (choreographed by Pontus Lidberg) was premiered at Norrlandsoperan i Umeå and widely acclaimed.

Beside his compositions, there are several transcriptions, arrangements and adaptations of orchestral music, including several works of Gustav Mahler (see Arrangements).

Awards

• 2022 The Large Christ Johnson Music Fund Prize [Det stora priset ur Christ Johnson Musikprisfond] for Poseidon, Organ Concerto No. 2
• 2014 Scholarship for Composers [Tonsättarstipendium 2014] from Musikföreningen i Stockholm

• 1998 Interpretation Prize, from The Society of Swedish Composers (Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare, FST)

• 1995 Crystal Prize (Kristallen den fina) for outstanding interpretation of Contemporary Music, awarded by Edition Reimers
• 1994 The Sten Frykberg Fund
• 1993 The Crusell Prize

Positions

• Member of the corps of examiners of the Danish music academies, appointed by the Principals of the Danish Music Academies and the Danish Ministry of Culture, 2020–24
• Member of the BBC NOW team for Composition: Wales, 2015–20
• Composer-in-Association at BBC National Orchestra of Wales during the 2014–15 Season

• Professor of Orchestral Conducting at Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm (Royal College of Music), since September 2012

• Visiting Professor of Orchestral Conducting at Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm (Royal College of Music), 2008–12

• Professor of Orchestral Studies at Högskolan för scen och musik in Göteborg (Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg), 2003–09

• Principal Conductor and Artistic Leader of Swedish National Orchestra Academy, 2003–09

• Principal Conductor of Stockholms Läns Blåsarsymfoniker (Stockholm Wind Ensemble), 1997–2005

• Music Director of KammarensembleN (a Swedish ensemble for contemporary music), 1994–99

• Member of The Committee for Publication of Johan Helmich Roman’s Collected Works (Roman-kommittén), since 2008

• Juror of Masterprize International Composition Competition, 2001 and 2003
• Juror of Composition Wales: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

• Juror of Norrköping Symphony Orchestra Composition competition 2013
• Juror of ISCM 2008
• Juror of Nordiska Musikdagarna (Nordic Music Days) 2004
• Juror of Ung Nordisk Musik (Young Nordic Music) 2003
• Juror of Christ Johnson Award 1999

• Member (as a student representative) of The Committee for Artistic Development at Royal University College of Music in Stockholm (Kungliga Musikhögskolan), 1988—92

The Swedish Conductors Guild (Svenska Dirigentföreningen, SDF):

• Member of the Board, 1999–2014 (secretary 1999–2004, chairman 2004–07)

The Vadstena Academy (Vadstena-Akademien):

• Member of the Board, 2005–11

• Member of the Artistic Advisory Board, 2005–08

The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien, KMA):

• Project leader for Swedish Musical Heritage (Levande Musikarv) 2011–13

• Member of the Board, 2010–14

• Member of the Election Committee, 2004–10 (chairman 2006–10)

• Member of the Committee for Music Politics (Musikpolitiska nämnden), 2009–10

• Chairman of the Jury for Conducting Scholarships, 2004–12

• Member of The Committee for Publication of Old Swedish Music (Nämnden för utgivning av äldre svensk music), 2007–14 (chairman 2013–14)

• Member of the Awarding Committee of Sten Frykberg Memorial Fund (Frykbergfonden), since 2002

Memberships

• Member (No. 944) of The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien, founded by King Gustaf III in 1771), since 2002

• Member of The Society of Swedish Conductors (Svenska Dirigentföreningen), since the foundation in 1998

• Member of The Society of Swedish Composers (Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare), since 1996

• Member of The Swedish Section of ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music), since 1993

• Member of Samtida Musik, since 1987