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 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. Each academic year, the University of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra performs several orchestral productions and 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, supporting the concert and tour activities.

Jurjen Hempel made his highly acclaimed debut in 1997 with Rotterdam Philharmonic. Recent engagements have been with Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Basel Symphony Orchestra, BBC SO London, BBC SSO Glasgow, BBC NOW Cardiff, Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin. He also has been twice guest conductor with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. After a successful production of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, the Opéra de Toulon appointed him as Music Director starting 2018. He studied conducting with David Porcelijn and Kenneth Montgomery at the Utrecht Conservatorium. On invitation of Seiji Ozawa he studied as a Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center where he worked with Bernard Haitink and Lorin Maazel. As finalist and prize-winner at the Sibelius Conducting Competition he received many invitations from Finnish Orchestras.