GUNNAR VALKARE
… was born (1943) and bred in Norrköping.

… appeared as a pianist in 1960 together with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra.

… studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, between 1963 and 1969, where in addition to instrumental studies (organ and piano) and graduating as an organist he also studied composition under Ingvar Lidholm (Ligeti etc.) and conducting under Siegfried Naumann.

… made his début as a composer in 1966. This was followed by a short and fairly successful career in that capacity until 1969-70 (with works such as Kardiogram I-IV, Ordure dans l’air après la passion, both for chamber orchestra, and Kanske en pastoral om det får tina upp, for string orchestra, piano and percussion). He then became highly sceptical of the art music establishment and, following conflicts with the Royal Stockholm Opera and other bodies, he turned from traditional activity as a musician and composer to folk music and studies of non-European, mainly African musical traditions, spending a long period in Uganda in 1969 and another in Tanzania in 1975.

… devoted himself during the 1970s and early 80s mainly to an alternative music education focusing on free musical creativity based on simple, often home-made instruments modelled principally on African culture. As a composer at this time he concentrated mainly on educational or audience-friendly school theatre music. In addition, he was resident music educationalist, conductor and composer in Gislaved (1973-74) and Kalmar (1976-77).

… worked between 1970 and 1975 with a free music-dance-drama group as composer, musician and actor, mostly on productions with a political emphasis.

… initiated in 1975 the experimental music group “Nävgröt” (Birch bark porridge), subsequently renamed “Saffro”, aimed at achieving a synthesis of African and European music. The group made a recording (MNW) in 1980 and a series of children’s television programmes in 1982. It was disbanded in 1984.

… engaged meanwhile in ever-broader ethno-musical and anthropological studies, which had the effect of widening his vision and gradually softened his critical view of contemporary European art music. In 1983 he went back to writing art music in the contemporary tradition (Piano sonata – avskild, lysten; Flight of the Mechanical Heart, for flute, marimba and string quartet, etc.).

… in 1989 won first prize in the orchestral competition arranged in conjunction with the Scandinavian Music Fair in Gothenburg. His first symphony (1989) was performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in the autumn of 1993.

… has also resumed conducting since 1990 (e.g. the Mälaröarna Chamber Choir 1990-94, the Mälaröarna Music Society (MäMUS) 1991-97 and the Lidingö Symphony Orchestra 1997-98).

… took his doctorate at Gothenburg University in 1997 with a thesis entitled “The Audiographic Field. Of the relationship of music to writing and strategies of the young Bo Nilsson.”

... currently lectures on Music and Society at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

(2000)

Photo: Lars Torndahl

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