CHRISTOPHER SUNDQVIST
Photo: Linda Tallroth-Paananen
BIOGRAPHY
"The RSO's solo clarinetist Christoffer Sundqvist has risen to the top of Finnish instrumentalists by offering nothing but his best. The fluidity of the musicianship, the rhythmic elasticity, the tonal range reaching the extremes and the sure sense of style have always enchanted me, whether it's orchestral solos, chamber music or solo performances."
Helsingin Sanomat 3 September 2011
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Christopher Sundqvist (b. 1978) began his clarinet studies at the Pietarsaari Conservatory as a student of Bernhard Nylund.
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In 2002, he completed his diploma at the Sibelius Academy with Anna-Maija Korsimaa as his teacher. Sundqvist continued his studies at the Basel University of Music under professor Francois Benda. In addition, he has studied chamber music under several prominent musicians. Christoffer Sundqvist won the shared first prize in the Crusell clarinet competition in 2002.
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Christoffer Sundqvist was chosen as the 2004 debutante of the Radio Symphony Orchestra. In recent years, he has played as a soloist in almost all Finnish orchestras. Foreign soloist visits include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonieorchester Basel. The conductors have been e.g. Jukka-Pekka Saraste, John Storgårds, Sakari Oramo, Karl-Heinz Steffens, Eugene Tzigane and Hannu Lintu. Sundqvist is a regular guest at European festivals. He has visited e.g. At the Warsaw autumn festival, at the Kuhmo chamber music festival, at the Fürstensaal Classix festival in Kempten, at the Märzmusik festival and at the West Cork chamber music festival in Ireland. Highlights of 2016-17 included visits to Amsterdam's Muziekgebouw and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, as well as the MITO festival in Milan and Turin. The complete recording of Louis Spohr's clarinet concertos with NDR Hannover was made in 2017.
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Sundqvist has worked closely with e.g. With Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppasen, Niek de Groot, Herve Joulain, Hugo Ticciat, Oliver Triendli, Angela Hewitt and Thorleif Thedeen. 2013-2016 Sundqvist served as artistic director of the Pietarsaari Sinfonieta. Together with Sebastian Fagerlund, he founded the RUSK chamber music festival in Pietarsaari in 2013.
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Christoffer Sundqvist has premiered the clarinet concertos of Sebastian Fagerlund, Olli Kortekanka, Erkki-Sven Tuuri, Aulis Sallinen and Jukka Linkola. With his chamber music ensembles, he has premiered numerous Finnish works, e.g. From PH Nordgren, Sampo Haapamäki, Magnus Lindberg and Atso Almila. Sundqvist works closely with Sebastian Fagerlund. In addition to the clarinet concerto, the latest premiere fruits of the collaboration include Trio from 2010 and Sonata from 2011.
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Sundqvist records for BIS, Ondine, CPO and Alba labels. The most recent recordings include the Emma-awarded recording of Fagerlund's clarinet concerto with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra for BIS, as well as the recording of Peter Eötvös and Aulis Sallinen's concertos and the EMMA-awarded recording of Plus Ensemble's Jukka Tiensuu's music for ALBA. Since 2005, Sundqvist has been the solo clarinetist of the Radio Symphony Orchestra. Christoffer Sundqvist teaches clarinet at the Sibelius Academy and regularly at master classes.
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http://christoffersundqvist.fi/fi/
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