# Anders Hillborg



## starthrower

Anders Hillborg gained his first musical experience singing in choirs and he was also involved in various forms of improvised music. From 1976 to 1982 he studied counterpoint, composition and electronic music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where his teachers included Gunnar Bucht, Lars-Erik Rosell, Arne Mellnäs and Pär Lindgren. Brian Ferneyhough, who was a guest lecturer at the College of Music on several occasions, was also an important source of inspiration.

Apart from occasional teaching positions, Hillborg has been a full-time freelance composer since 1982. His sphere of activity is extensive, covering orchestral, choral and chamber music as well as music for films and pop music.

1983 composed muoayiyaoum for mixed choir

1983-85 composed Celestial Mechanics for 17 solo strings and percussion

1986-89 composed Clang & Fury for large orchestra

1990 professor in composition in Malmö, Sweden

1991 The Christ Johnson Prize for Celestial Mechanics

1992 Celestial Mechanics selected work at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers

1995 composer-in-residence at the Avantti! festival in Porvoo, Finland with Magnus Lindberg and Franco Donatoni

1995 Violin Concerto selected work at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers

1996 Grammy (the Swedish Gramophone Award) as Composer of the Year for the CD "Jag vill se min älskade komma från det vilda" ("I want to see my beloved coming from the wild")

1997 Christ Johnson Prize for Violin Concerto

1999 featured composer at the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Composer Festival

2002 The orchestra piece Dreaming River wins 1st prize at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers

2003 featured composer at the Soundstreams Festival, Toronto, Canada

2005 featured composer at the Avantti!-festival in Porvoo, Finland

2008 composer-in-residence at The Aspen Music Festival

2010-2012 composer-in-residence at Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), Uppsala, Sweden

2011 world premiere of Cold Heat with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and David Zinman conducting. (January 12)

2011 world premiere of Sirens with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Master Chorale, A S von Otter, Hila Plitmann, Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (November 25)

22-31 January 2012 Roger D. Moore Distinguished Visitor in Composition at University of Toronto

2012 Grammy (the Swedish Gramophone Award) for Best Classical CD of the Year for the album Eleven Gates featuring 4 orchestral works by Hillborg.

Anders Hillborg's orchestral music has been performed by many major conductors including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alan Gilbert, Gustavo Dudamel, David Zinman, Andrey Boreyko, Yannick Nézet-Seguin, Michael Gielen, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Susanna Mälkki, Hannu Lintu, John Storgårds and many others.

Orchestras that have performed his music include Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Bayerishe Rundfunk Orchester, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonie, Helsinki Philharmonic.

He has received commissions from leading performing organisations such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Tonhalle Zürich, New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and the Gothenburg Symphony. Notable musicians he's worked with include clarinetist Martin Fröst, mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, choir conductor Eric Ericson.

A couple of pieces I found to my liking on YouTube:


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## Crudblud

I'm not sure if the _Lamento_ is supposed to be humorous, but I found the whole thing of really fast and complicated lines of short notes interspersed with huge glissandi really funny. In a good way, you understand.


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## arpeggio

*Hillborg Clarinet Concerto-Martin Fröst*

Have you caught this? A friend of mine who is a clarinet player introduced me to this. We consider Martin Fröst to be one of the premier clarinet players in the world. He commissioned Hillborg to compose a clarinet concerto for him. Not only that, Frost commissioned a choreographer to create a dance sequence for him to perform while playing the clarinet (Note: I have not found out who the choretrapher is). This is amazing!!! 






Move over Michael Jackson.


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## starthrower

I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's from the CD Clang & Fury featuring the phenomenal Kari Kriiku on clarinet. He also plays some incredible stuff on Magnus Lindberg's concerto. Here's the title track to Clang & Fury.


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## starthrower

arpeggio said:


> Have you caught this? A friend of mine who is a clarinet player introduced me to this. We consider Martin Fröst to be one of the premier clarinet players in the world. He commissioned Hillborg to compose a clarinet concerto for him. Not only that, Frost commissioned a choreographer to create a dance sequence for him to perform while playing the clarinet (Note: I have not found out who the choretrapher is). This is amazing!!!
> 
> Move over Michael Jackson.


I don't think any dance companies will be knocking on Frost's door. I'm not so sure writing for him brings out the best in this composer either.


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## arpeggio

starthrower said:


> I don't think any dance companies will be knocking on Frost's door. I'm not so sure writing for him brings out the best in this composer either.


Sorry, I thought some my have found this interesting.


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## starthrower

Hey, no need for apologies. It's just my opinion.


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## Guest

I bought the fairly recent BIS SACD of some of his orchestral music. Can't say that it did a lot for me, but I do love a term he uses in the notes when describing extremely aggressive new music: "sado-modernism"! (He doesn't think he fits that description.)


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## leipzig

I liked Hillborg's latest orchestral piece, Cold Heat, which I remember as captivating, dark and very serious.


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## starthrower

I like Cold Heat as well, but I can't seem to locate the recording.


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## leipzig

Probably the Berliner Philharmoniker, who premiered the piece, have a recording in their "Digital Concert Hall". I heard Cold Heat for the first time on the radio from Berlin.


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