SWR Symphonieorchester

Participants

SWR Symphony Orchestra with students of the College of Music Freiburg
Lin Liao → Conductor
Prof. Sarah Nemtsov (composer, Mozarteum University Salzburg), Prof. Johannes Schöllhorn (composer, College of Music Freiburg), Lydia Jeschke and Martina Seeber (editors SWR) → Mentors

Program

Özkan Umutcan Bapbaci → Dämmernacht for orchestra (world premiere)
Aya Yoshida → Droplet Silhouette for orchestra (world premiere)
Jinsol Yu → "N" for orchestra (world premiere)
Dabeen Lee → Into the Abyss for orchestra (world premiere)
Federico Perotti → Nure for symphony orchestra (world premiere)
Po-Chien Liu → Scha(dows) for orchestra (world premiere)
Isaac Blumfield → Window's edge, glowing, swarming for orchestra (world premiere)

Concert by "SWR Symphonieorchester" and young composers

On May 1, 2025, the "SWR Symphonieorchester" will give a concert with seven new works at the College of Music Freiburg. It is the conclusion and highlight of a competition: young composers from all over the world sent in orchestral pieces and the best entries were selected by a jury. The young talents benefit enormously from working with the renowned orchestra - but so does the orchestra.

On May 1, 2025, the "SWR Symphonieorchester", supported by students from the College of Music Freiburg, will perform an orchestral concert consisting exclusively of world premieres. Hearing so many innovative works of contemporary music in one concert is a unique opportunity, says Johannes Schöllhorn. The professor of composition and head of the "Institute for New Music" at the College of Music in Freiburg initiated the project and was a member of the jury. 43 young composers under the age of 35 from all over the world applied for the competition - seven of them were selected, including Dabeen Lee, who is studying composition in Freiburg. The number of applications was unexpectedly high, explains Johannes Schöllhorn, as young musicians do not usually write orchestral works yet. "This shows how attractive the competition is. It is a career builder: young talents get the chance to discuss, rehearse and perform their pieces with a professional and very renowned orchestra. This gives them valuable experience."

Cooperation with the SWR Symphony Orchestra began for the first time in 2021

The orchestra also benefits from the exchange: the musicians get to know particularly talented young musicians and may be happy to work with them again later. "The orchestra musicians also enjoy this format and working with young talent," says Johannes Schöllhorn. The cooperation also benefits the participating instrumental students from the College of Music Freiburg, as they get the chance to play with a world-class orchestra.

The seven composers selected come from China, Italy, Japan, Korea, Turkey and the USA. They will be supported in their work with the orchestra by the members of the jury: Taiwanese conductor Lin Liao, who lives in Germany, composer Prof. Sarah Nemtsov from the "Universität Mozarteum Salzburg", Johannes Schöllhorn and SWR editors Lydia Jeschke and Martina Seeber. The cooperation between the SWR Symphony Orchestra and the College of Music Freiburg was launched in 2021. Since then, it has taken place every two years, alternating between the Stuttgart and Freiburg Universities of Music. Rehearsals are open to the public and admission to the concert is free.