Göteborgs Konserthus University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

The core of the orchestra is students of the two-year international master's program in symphonic orchestra playing at the University of Gothenburg University. The training is unique in its kind and is conducted in collaboration with the Gothenburg Symphony and the Gothenburg Opera. The orchestra projects also include students from the bachelor's program in classical music, a three-year program where the students focuses on chamber music playing and individual development on their instrument. Sometimes students from other music colleges are invited to participate and complement the orchestra. The artistic director of the University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is Henrik Schaefer. Each academic year, the University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra performs eight orchestral productions with a total of around 15 public concerts. Internationally well-known conductors and soloists are engaged for these. Recently, Anja Bihlmaier, Eva Ollikainen, ShaoChia Lü, Olaf Henzold, Patrik Ringborg, Tobias Ringborg, Michel Tabachnik and Steven Sloane have been guests of the orchestra. Among the soloists are pianists Roland Pöntinen and Christian Zacharias, violinists Malin Broman and Antje Weithaas, trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth and singer Kristina Hansson. The orchestra also collaborates every year with the opera education at the University of Stage and Music. The University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is an ambassador for the University of Gothenburg, supporting the concert and tour activities.

Magdalena Pawlisz is a Polish conductor who studied conducting with Rafael Jacek Delekta, Steven Sloane, Harry Curtis, and participated in master classes with Colin Metters. She has assisted Michail Jurowski, Enrico Calesso and Patrik Ringborg at the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg and at the Gothenburg Opera. As a guest conductor, she has already performed in Italy, Germany, Poland and Sweden. Her last appearance at the College of Theater and Music was in 2021. Magdalena Pawlisz has previously worked with symphony orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kammerakademie Potsdam or Orchestra de Cadaques. She has also conducted opera orchestras, including those of the Royal Opera House in London, the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff and the Komische Oper Berlin.

Agnes Thörn is a soprano and graduated in the spring of 2022 from the opera program at the University of Theater and Music in Gothenburg. In the graduation production in December 2021, she sang the role of Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute, directed by Nils Spangenberg and conductor Henrik Schaefer. In the spring of 2022, she appeared as Siren in Herr Arnes Penningar at the Gothenburg Opera. After graduating in June 2022, she returned to the role of the Queen of the Night in Germany at the Berlin Opera Academy. She is currently studying opera interpretation at master's level at the University of Theater and Music.