Jan Sandström SWEDEN
Jan Sandström was born in Vilhelmina in 1954 and moved the age of eight to Stockholm. After high school Sandström first studied at the School of Music in Piteå, and then composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. In 1982, he returned as a teacher at the School of Music in Piteå, and was appointed there in 1989 as Professor of Composition.
The interest in musical drama developed back in the late eighties with radio theater Strändernas svall, TV-ballet Tale of a Manor and opera Bombi Bitt and Nick Carter, commissioned by the Norrlands Opera. For the Gothenburg Opera has Sandstrom then composed two operas; Macbeth and K. Description of a Struggle. Both operas received great attention and the latter was reviewed after the premiere as "one of the strongest that has happened Swedish opera art for a long time." 2006 Sandström composed his fourth opera, Bellman opera Madame Good Night, and after the opera Elisa Sandström composed Fair Opera - the Musical for Umeå Culture City in Europe in 2014.
Sandstrom has over the years become a sought-after composers order and received in 2006 the prestigious assignment to compose a cantata for the King's 60th birthday. For the celebration of Linnaeus's 300th birthday in 2007 Sandstrom wrote a cantata commissioned by Uppsala University, Sweden, and Norway's 200-year celebration of the Constitution was commissioned in 2014 as an orchestral work. In 2016 he got the commission of writing an opera, The Rococo Machinery for the 250th anniversary of the Drottningholm Palace Theatre in Stockholm.
2002 received Sandstrom Litteris et Artibus medal from the hands of the king and the following year he was elected as a member of the Royal Academy of Music.
The music for the film The Garbage Helicopter won first prize for Best Original Score in Sweden´s most prominent Film Award ”Guldbaggen” (The Swedish Academy Awards) 2017.
The interest in musical drama developed back in the late eighties with radio theater Strändernas svall, TV-ballet Tale of a Manor and opera Bombi Bitt and Nick Carter, commissioned by the Norrlands Opera. For the Gothenburg Opera has Sandstrom then composed two operas; Macbeth and K. Description of a Struggle. Both operas received great attention and the latter was reviewed after the premiere as "one of the strongest that has happened Swedish opera art for a long time." 2006 Sandström composed his fourth opera, Bellman opera Madame Good Night, and after the opera Elisa Sandström composed Fair Opera - the Musical for Umeå Culture City in Europe in 2014.
Sandstrom has over the years become a sought-after composers order and received in 2006 the prestigious assignment to compose a cantata for the King's 60th birthday. For the celebration of Linnaeus's 300th birthday in 2007 Sandstrom wrote a cantata commissioned by Uppsala University, Sweden, and Norway's 200-year celebration of the Constitution was commissioned in 2014 as an orchestral work. In 2016 he got the commission of writing an opera, The Rococo Machinery for the 250th anniversary of the Drottningholm Palace Theatre in Stockholm.
2002 received Sandstrom Litteris et Artibus medal from the hands of the king and the following year he was elected as a member of the Royal Academy of Music.
The music for the film The Garbage Helicopter won first prize for Best Original Score in Sweden´s most prominent Film Award ”Guldbaggen” (The Swedish Academy Awards) 2017.
Nomination text
Jan Sandström is among the most frequently performed Swedish composers on the international scene today.The Motorbike Concerto for trombone and orchestra (1988–89) is one of the most spread Swedish orchestral works of all times, with over 600 performances to its credit since its premiere in 1989. Sandström's catalogue includes music for various ensembles, for choir, opera, ballet and for radio theatre - but above all for orchestra, with or without soloist.
Sandström began his musical career as a chorister, and his work list includes a large part of vocal, opera and choral music. His choral music underlines the catholicity and seems to form a link with an inner, gentle world, the emotional abstract.
Sandstrom often deals with the naive, ordinary feelings, ordinary people, the misunderstood hero. A critic once wrote that he composes “music that pats you on the hand and says ‘there, there, it’ll be all right’"
Different lines of composing co-exists in Sandström’s music. Minimalism, Eastern philosophy as well as the world of serialism were early influences on his music. For many years Sandström also worked at developing the form of overtone harmony that is known as spectral analysis.
Sandström and his music is constantly on the move aiming to explore whatever aspect of life and music takes his fancy: ‘Every morning when I wake up, I want to be surprised by whatever I might think up today!’
In 2016 Sandström composed the orchestral score for the Swedish film ”Sophelikoptern”, for which he was honored with 'Guldbaggen' (best score).
Jan Sandström is among the most frequently performed Swedish composers on the international scene today.The Motorbike Concerto for trombone and orchestra (1988–89) is one of the most spread Swedish orchestral works of all times, with over 600 performances to its credit since its premiere in 1989. Sandström's catalogue includes music for various ensembles, for choir, opera, ballet and for radio theatre - but above all for orchestra, with or without soloist.
Sandström began his musical career as a chorister, and his work list includes a large part of vocal, opera and choral music. His choral music underlines the catholicity and seems to form a link with an inner, gentle world, the emotional abstract.
Sandstrom often deals with the naive, ordinary feelings, ordinary people, the misunderstood hero. A critic once wrote that he composes “music that pats you on the hand and says ‘there, there, it’ll be all right’"
Different lines of composing co-exists in Sandström’s music. Minimalism, Eastern philosophy as well as the world of serialism were early influences on his music. For many years Sandström also worked at developing the form of overtone harmony that is known as spectral analysis.
Sandström and his music is constantly on the move aiming to explore whatever aspect of life and music takes his fancy: ‘Every morning when I wake up, I want to be surprised by whatever I might think up today!’
In 2016 Sandström composed the orchestral score for the Swedish film ”Sophelikoptern”, for which he was honored with 'Guldbaggen' (best score).