Back to:   Index Of Performers
Norrbotten NEO

is the most modern and distinctive voice on the Swedish music scene today. The ensemble started up in January 2007, with a grant from the Swedish Arts Council, the municipalities of Piteå and Luleå, and Norrbotten County Council. The ensemble is the only example of its kind in Sweden, being charged with promoting contemporary art music on a national basis. The word ‘Neo’ means simply ‘new’ and reflects both the music performed and the experience offered to audiences.

The ensemble consists of seven musicians employed full-time and has Studio Acusticum in Piteå as its home base. Norrbotten NEO performs contemporary music at the highest international level, in a manner which is both exciting and which reaches out to newcomers as well as to experienced listeners. The ensemble has quickly become an essential force in Swedish music life, always stirring and challenging its audiences.

Norrbotten NEO works with young and more established composers alike, from inside and outside of the country, and is commissioning new works on a constant basis. The ensemble works for the growth of contemporary music additionally by cooperating with schools for composers. The ensemble has given over a hundred premieres since its inception.

Works by internationally known composers such as Chaya Czernowin and Kaija Saariaho feature in the ensemble’s repertoire and Norrbotten NEO has also caught the tango fever, playing music by Igor Stravinsky, Astor Piazzolla and Jostein Stalheim. The ensemble has performed alongside folk musician and dramatist Svante Lindqvist and plays classical core repertoire as well. Concerts in community centres and children’s projects form part of Norrbotten NEO’s remit, and since its inception the ensemble has confidently been conquering an ever-larger musical territory. The ensemble is a constituent part of Piteå Chamber Opera’s performances and the musicians are section leaders in Norrbotten’s Chamber Orchestra and also teach at the School of Music in Piteå.

www.norrbottenneo.com