Malmö Academy of Music's Symphony Orchestra performs "Nordic light" | Samuli Örnströmer (conductor) | Julia Isaksson (piano)

Program

Elfrida Andrée (1849-1929)
Concert-Overture in D major

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Piano Concert No. 1 in E♭ major, S.124

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 43

About the artists

Samuli Örnströmer was born in Finland. He was classically trained as a cellist at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and subsequently at the Royal Academy in Stockholm. While in Stockholm he also studied conducting under Jorma Panula and received his diploma in 1998. Since 2001 Samuli has held the position as co-principal cello in Malmö Symphony Orchestra (MSO), an orchestra he has also conducted on many occasions. In addition, he has a tenured post at Malmö Academy of Music as a teacher of orchestral studies and is a recurring conductor of the Malmö Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra.

Julia Isaksson is a Swedish classical pianist who has performed extensively as a soloist in major venues in Europe including Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Gothenburg Concert Hall and Stockholm Concert Hall. She made her international solo debut at the age of 18, performing for a full house in Laeiszhalle Grand Hall at the International Steinway Festival after winning first prize at the Steinway Piano Festival in Stockholm 2014.

Julia recently had her soloist debut with Malmö Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Staffan Larson, playing Liszt’s first piano concerto. She has participated in several national and international piano competitions and piano festivals. In 2020 she was highly commended in the Sterndale Bennett Prize for piano music composed between 1830 and 1860. Other awards include a gold medal at the Berlinske Tidendes Klassiske Musikkonkurrence in Copenhagen and first prize at the Feurich Piano Competition in Malmö, the Stockholm International Music Competition and the Feurich International Music Competition in Vienna.

In 2019, Julia obtained her Bachelor degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London with First Class Honours. She then pursued her Master degree at the same school studying piano with professor Colin Stone and chamber music with Diana Ketler. She concluded her studies in London with a Distinction in her Master degree as well as an additional DipRAM, an institutional prize for outstanding performance in a Postgraduate Final Recital. Julia is currently pursuing her Interpretation Diploma degree at Malmö Academy of Music under the tutelage of Francisca Skoogh.

Apart from solo piano music, Julia is very passionate about chamber music in various constellations. In 2019, her duo together with double bassist Ión López Leal, was awarded second prize in the Wilfrid Parry Prize at the Royal Academy of Music. Julia also frequently collaborates with classical saxophonist Theo Hillborg and they have performed extensively in Sweden and in the UK. In 2021 they won first prize in the Swedish Chamber Music Biennale, Ung & Lovande, which lead to a national tour consisting of over 30 concerts throughout Sweden. During their tour, the duo had the honour of premiering a piece written by the Grammy-awarded composer Magnus Lindgren. Their performance at Norrlandsoperan has been broadcasted in Swedish Radio on several occasions.Julia has also had the pleasure of participating in many master classes with internationally renowned pianists including Pascal Devoyon, Angela Hewitt, Olga Kern, Pascal Rogé, Kathryn Stott, Yeol Eum Son, Yevgeny Sudbin and many more. She is grateful for the support of the Countess of Munster Trust, the Martha Sture Grant, the John Andersson i Anderslöv Scholarship, the Crafoord Grant, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the Gottfrid Boon’s Scholarship fund. Julia is also very grateful for being this year’s ambassador of the European Piano Teachers Association Sweden.

Tour dates 

5th November - 15:00 | Malmö Academy of Music Rosenbergsalen (free entrance)

7th November -  19:00 | Szczecin Philharmonic, Szczecin,  Poland

9th November- 18:30 | Gdansk Music Academy, Gdansk, Poland (t.b.a)    

This tour has been made possible by a generous grant from Einar Hansens Allhemsstiftelse for which we are truly thankful.