Archive for Jonathan Östlund

Divine Art Announces Sixth Album from Swedish Impressionist Composer Jonathan Östlund

Jonathan Östlund
Jonathan Östlund © Jonathan Östlund/Divine Art

Following four previously released and highly praised albums for Jonathan Östlund, and the fifth, “Elysian” appearing on July 14 this year, Divine Art is now preparing his sixth, to be titled ‘Rêverie’. This album, unlike the previous ones, is more focussed in terms of genre, featuring only chamber works, but all demonstrating the composer’s highly developed gift for Impressionist sound-painting.  Acclaimed for his imaginative and accessible music, he has been championed by some of Europe’s best musicians. Among the plaudits for his previous albums, he was described as ‘the 21st Century’s Debussy’ (Jan Hocek, His Voice); “this is music of filigree beauty” (Colin Clarke, Fanfare). The new album, which is to be recorded in late June, will be no less magical and will be scheduled for release in the winter, between November and February.

Rêverie (DDX 21120)

Works

  • Rêveries
  • Empyrean Nocturne
  • Fantaisie Chatoyant sur deux ‘Clair de Lune’
  • Fantaisie sur un cantique Français
  • Sognando l’al di là
  • Waiting for Pierrot
  • Winds’ Wander and Vigil (suite in 9 movements)
  • Zaubernacht

Artists

  • Myriam Hidber-Dickinson (flute)
  • Lisa Brakhman (violin)
  • [to be confirmed] (viola)
  • Mariona Tuset (cello)
  • Evgeny Brakhman (piano)
  • Eva Simó (piano)

Jonathan Östlund received his BA and MA in Composition at LTU, in Sweden, and has so far completed more than 150 works, including several orchestral works, and two concertos for violin.

His achievements include CD-releases, publications and performances with the London Schubert Players in the U.K., France and Romania throughout 2010 and 2011, as part of the ‘Invitation to Composers’ project. In 2012 he won the Public Choice Award for his Cello Sonata, premiered by A. Zagorinsky and E. Steen-Nokleberg, and was awarded 1st Prize in the Leicester Symphony Orchestra’s Composers’ Composition for his ‘Celebration Fanfare’, which was premiered during the Orchestra’s 90th Season Gala. Various premieres followed in 2013, in the U.K. and France.

The year 2014 brought Jonathan’s music to the Cadogan Hall stage with ‘Lumières’, a programme presenting ten of his chamber works, in various constellations, performed by E. Pameijer, B. Waldmann and the Cellini Quartet. That same year, his Cello Sonata received a Russian premiere, and he was a Winner in the 2015 IBLA Grand Prize, with one of his orchestral works [the extended version of which became ‘Nocturnia’, and is featured on his third album, ‘Mistral’].

His first double CD, ‘Lunaris’, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim, a year in which further premieres took place in the U.K. and in Switzerland. In 2017 Östlund’s Piano Concertino was premiered in Athens, Greece, and Y. Revich together with M. Esnult premiered a violin and piano piece in Vienna, Austria.

His second double CD, ‘Voyages’, was released in 2019, featuring (among others) Walter Gatti, Evgeny Brakhman, Sasha Grynyuk, and Alicja Smietana. His third album release, ‘Mistral’, released in 2020, includes the recording of his Concerto No. 1 for Violin & Symphony Orchestra among other mesmerising works in varied instrumentation, and was followed by the release of his fourth album, ‘Imago’, a tour-de-force double album, in February 2022 and a further superb double album, ‘Elysian’ to be released in July 2023.

Jonathan Östlund on Divine Art

Divine Art announces fifth album for Swedish impressionist composer Jonathan Östlund: ‘Elysían’

Jonathan Östlund
Jonathan Östlund © Jonathan Östlund/Divine Art

Following four previous and highly praised albums for Jonathan Östlund, Divine Art is now preparing his fifth, to be titled ‘Elysían’. The double album, like the previous ones, contains a wealth of impressionist works ranging from pieces for chamber orchestra, to instrumental and vocal compositions, performed by a large group of hand-picked performers from around Europe.  Jonathan Östlund’s primary inspiration is nature which is brought out fully in beautiful Impressionist works; acclaimed for his imaginative and accessible music, he has been championed by some of Europe’s best musicians. Among the plaudits for his previous albums, he was described as ‘the 21st Century’s Debussy’ (Jan Hocek, His Voice); “this is music of filigree beauty” (Colin Clarke, Fanfare). The new album will be no less magical and will be scheduled for release in the summer of 2023.

Artists include: Patrik Jablonski (piano), Edward Cohen (piano), Serene Yu (piano), Alexander Zagorinsky (cello), Evgeny Brakhman (piano), Peter Sheppard Skærved (violin), Myriam Hidber-Dickinson (flute), Natalie Anston-Vermorel (soprano), Inga Feter (piano), Martina Bortolotti von Haderburg (soprano), Luca Schinai (piano), Laura Kimmel (mezzo-soprano), Nikita Stepanenko (piano), Nizhny Novgorod SoloistsMaria Zagorinskaya (soprano), and more to be confirmed.

Album Details

Title: Elysían
Label: Divine Art
Catalogue number: DDA 21242
Composer: Jonathan Östlund

Works

Elysían Dreamscape I | Elysían Theme | Along a Sun-ray | Aeolus |Air on the Heart-strings | Hey – Dance as Long as We Live! | Yonderlands | Azure Ablaze | Symphonie à Cordes | La Lune Blanche |
Poesís | Danse Fantastique | The Fairy-flute | Nuages Fatigués |Elysían Dreamscape II |Titania |
Elegie | The Humblebee | Ghost Waltz | Trold Halla | Suite Singulière | Star-eye

The album has been recorded in various locations around Europe, and is being mastered by Paul Baily (ReSound UK).

Jonathan Östlund received his BA and MA in Composition at LTU, in Sweden, and has so far completed more than 150 works, including several orchestral works, and two concertos for violin. His achievements include CD-releases, publications and performances with the London Schubert Players in the U.K., France and Romania throughout 2010 and 2011, as part of the ‘Invitation to Composers’ project. In 2012 he won the Public Choice Award for his Cello Sonata, premiered by A. Zagorinsky and E. Steen-Nokleberg, and was awarded 1st Prize in the Leicester Symphony Orchestra’s Composers’ Composition for his ‘Celebration Fanfare’, which was premiered during the Orchestra’s 90th Season Gala. Various premieres followed in 2013, in the U.K. and France.

The year 2014 brought Jonathan’s music to the Cadogan Hall stage with ‘Lumières’, a programme presenting ten of his chamber works, in various constellations, performed by E. Pameijer, B. Waldmann and the Cellini Quartet. That same year, his Cello Sonata received a Russian premiere, and he was a Winner in the 2015 IBLA Grand Prize, with one of his orchestral works [the extended version of which became ‘Nocturnia’, and is featured on his third album, ‘Mistral’].

His first double CD, ‘Lunaris’, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim, a year in which further premieres took place in the U.K. and in Switzerland. In 2017 Östlund’s Piano Concertino was premiered in Athens, Greece, and Y. Revich together with M. Esnult premiered a violin and piano piece in Vienna, Austria.
His second double CD, ‘Voyages’, was released in 2019, featuring (among others) Walter Gatti, Evgeny Brakhman, Sasha Grynyuk, and Alicja Smietana.

His third album release, ‘Mistral’, released in 2020, includes the recording of his Concerto No. 1 for Violin & Symphony Orchestra among other mesmerising works in varied instrumentation, and was followed by the release of his fourth album, ‘Imago’, a tour-de-force double album, in February 2022.

Two New Albums from Jonathan Östlund

Jonathan Ostlund
Jonathan Ostlund © Evelyne Bologa CImoca

Following the release of three previous albums by Swedish composer Jonathan ÖstlundLunaris, DDA 21226 (2016); Voyages, DDA 21232 (2019); and Mistral, DDA 25199 (2020), Divine Art’s CEO Stephen Sutton has announced another two new double albums of music. The first, Imago, appeared in a semi-private release in 2020 (available only via the website of ‘Miss Flute’) arranged by flutist Myriam Hidber Dickinson; the album is now being given full worldwide distribution in CD and digital formats and is scheduled for release in February 2022.

A new double album, to be titled Elysian, is in progress – mostly recorded, with some sessions still to be arranged, having been delayed due to the pandemic, and is likely to hit the streets in the summer (full details will be announced in due course).

Jonathan Östlund (b.1975) writes for a wonderfully diverse range of instruments and voices, and each of his albums contains a panoply of varied works, performed by hand-picked musicians – hence the very long artist credits for his recordings. His major influence is nature – landscapes and locations, birds and animals, and a keen sense of atmosphere in his mainly Impressionist works – leading to such praise as in the quote above. However he is also fascinated by the re-setting of older works by the master composers – sometimes with melodies quoted sympathetically in his music or as on his latest album, more overt transcriptions and paraphrases.

Both these new albums are full of the warm, melodic yet totally individual pieces that in ‘Lunaris’, attracted exceptional reviews internationally, including:

“A fascinating canvas, full of color. Östlund clearly has much to say, and he says it in a consistently interesting manner. Fully worthy of investigation“ – Colin Clarke (Fanfare)

“Markedly original. [I] feel enriched by stepping into his world of fancy free.” – Huntley Dent (Fanfare)

“This lyrical new music has an individual sound and is in turn picturesque and witty. Timeless and sophisticated music.” – John Pitt (New Classics)

“Östlund seems to have no end to his reservoir of inspiration.” – Remy Franck (Pizzicato)

IMAGO (DDA 21239)

Jonathan Östlund Playlist on Spotify

Works

  • Imago Theme / L’eau de l’oubli / Paraphrase on Bach’s ‘Siciliano’ / Fantasia on Bach’s ‘Toccata in D minor’
  • Les Oiseaux et François / Arrangement of Reger’s ‘Mariä Wiegenlied’ / La Neige de Noël
  • Paraphrase on Bach’s ‘Komm süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh’ / La nuite étoilée
  • Mondspiegel: Paraphrase on Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, mvt. 1 / Turquoise Spring
  • Rêve et Lune Duet / Night of June / Lumières de jardin / Will-o’-the-Wisp
  • Midnight Hour / Zephyr / Titania / Swedish Folk-dance
  • Dance on Glowing Strings (Swedish Rhapsody) / La Sirena / Castel Caracal
  • A True Love of Mine (Fantasia on Scarborough Fair)
  • Bouquet – Suite for two clarinets (7 movements)
  • Traumgewalt / The Jester / La Flûte Rêveuse / Imago Theme 2

Artists

  • Evelyne Bologa [narrator)
  • Evgeny Brakhman [piano]
  • Stefan Cassar [piano]
  • Gabriella Dall’Olio [harp]
  • Myriam Hidber Dickinson [flute]
  • Caroline Doerge [piano]
  • Oleg Egorov [French horn]
  • Lina Ferencz [mezzo-soprano)
  • Walter Gatti [piano]
  • Nataly Grines [piano]
  • Sasha Grynyuk [piano]
  • Christine Elizabeth Hoerning [Clarinet]
  • Vladimir Kharin [piano]
  • Ursula Leveaux [bassoon]
  • Yan Li [viola/violin]
  • Paola Nervi [violin]
  • Anna Noakes [flute]
  • Yukiko Ogura [viola)
  • Andrea Pedrazzini [piano]
  • Laurence Perkins [bassoon]
  • Martha Potulska [viola]
  • Elena Saccomandi [viola]
  • Maria Zagorinskaya [soprano]
  • Mauro Zappalà [piano]
  • Nizhny Novgorod Soloists String Ensemble
  • Coro Calliope (leader: Esther Haarbeck)
  • Orchestra da Camera del Locarnese,
  • Andras Laake [conductor]

Divine Art Announces Third Album for Swedish Composer Jonathan Östlund: Mistral

Mistral front cover

Swedish composer Jonathan Östlund has been compared to a modern-day Debussy for his finely crafted impressionistic music, inspired strongly by the natural world – places, flora and fauna.  Following the two double albums ‘Lunaris’ and ‘Voyages’, Östlund has again assembled a fine set of musicians to appear on his new album ‘Mistral’ which is scheduled to be released in late autumn this year. 

The new release again contains a mix of orchestral and chamber works – most has been recorded but two tracks are due to be recorded in Moscow in the next few weeks.

The first album ‘Lunaris’ (DDA 21226) gained some fine reviews: 

“Östlund’s signature, like Debussy and Schumann in the great tradition, merges atmosphere, mystery, fantasy, and fairy tale. Markedly original. [I] feel enriched by stepping into his world of fancy free.”

—Huntley Dent (Fanfare)

“Östlund seems to have no end to his reservoir of inspiration.”

—Remy Franck (Pizzicato)

Voyages’ (ZDA 50602) was released in March this year as a digital-only double album. A CD version, omitting two tracks for reasons of duration, is also due to appear later this year.

Album Details

Divine Art DDA 25199 ‘Mistral’

Full price CD / frontline digital album

Works and artists

  • Concerto for Violin & Symphony Orchestra – The Bow Tie Orchestra, Vladimir Podgoretsky (Conductor), Natalia Kovalevskaya (Solo Violin)
  • Aquarelle – ensemble from the Bergslagen Chamber Philharmonic
  • Morpheus Metamorphoses – The Bow Tie Orchestra, Vladimir Podgoretsky (Conductor)
  • Paganini Fantasia – Andreas Laake (Solo Violin)
  • The Forgotten Garden – Verisimo Ensemble
  • Légendes de la Mer – Nataly Brakhman (Piano) & Evgeny Brakhman (Piano)
  • Saga – Myriam Hidber-Dickinson (Solo Flute)
  • Nocturnia – Ethereal Night’s Ascendance – The Bow Tie Orchestra & Chorus, Vladimir Podgoretsky (Conductor)

The Bow Tie Orchestra is formed from members of the Russian National Orchestra and set up predominantly as a recording orchestra.  Each member is a top professional – indeed 21 of its members have won international competitions.

The founder, artistic director and conductor is Vladimor Podgoretsky. After earning his B.A. in Conducting from the Moscow State Conservatory and graduating from UCLA film scoring program, Vladimir has been working for more than 7 years on diverse Hollywood films and animation.  His orchestrator and conductor credits include such films as Season of the Witch, Single Shot, Scavengers, the acclaimed video game World of Warcraft, the ABC TV series Revenge and others.   Vladimir composed music for the feature film The Game of Truth from acclaimed producer Timur Bekmambetov and worked as an additional music arranger with film composer Harry Gregson Williams on his film Equalizer.

Jonathan Östlund: Voyages

We are delighted to announce the release of the double digital album “Voyages”, showcasing new original music written by the acclaimed composer Jonathan Östlund. This album, scheduled for release in February 2019, is a collection of exciting new repertoire including works for solo instruments, vocal, various chamber ensembles, organ works, as well as works for symphony orchestra, and features top international artists and ensembles. Exploring “Voyages” we discover personal journeys, both geographical as well as introspective, and a particular memory of time, with unique events and treasured memories… – the dramatic twists are interwoven with meditative passages, enthusiasm meets longing and the reflections upon the passage itself of time, in the voyage through Life.

Jonathan Östlund’s previous double album under Divine Art, “Lunaris” (DDA 21226), released in 2016 and currently in-demand and available via all major platforms, received top recognition; John Pitt, of New Classics, described Östlund’s music as “timeless and sophisticated…”, Huntley Dent, of Fanfare, appreciated that “Östlund’s signature, like Debussy and Schumann in the great tradition, merges atmosphere, mystery, fantasy, and fairy tale”, and Jan Hocek, of His Voice, contoured Östlund’s writing by affirming that “Jonathan Östlund writes music with natural poetic melodies and highly sophisticated harmonies, blending tradition with contemporary expression.”

Östlund received a BA and MA in Composition from LTU in Sweden, and has been awarded such honours as the First Prize at ‘Leicester Symphony Orchestra Composer’s Competition’, the ‘Public’s Choice Award’ at ‘Oslo Grieg Festival’, and has been selected as winner in the category ‘Most Distinguished Musician’, as well as receiving a ‘Special Mention’ at the IBLA Grand Prize. He has composed approximately 100 works, including several orchestral/symphonic compositions, a Piano Concerto and a Violin Concerto.