Composer of the Month #1 is JACOB MÜHLRAD

Jacob Mühlrad has established himself as one of his generation’s most sought-after Scandinavian composers. A 27 year old adept and student of world famous choral composer Sven-David Sandström, his music has already been performed at New York's Carnegie Hall, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Swedish Radio's concert hall Berwaldhallen. In 2019, a three year cooperation with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Stockholm Concert House will be launched, as well as continued projects with the Swedish Radio Choir, who has premiered many of Mühlrad's pieces in recent years, including Kaddish, a choral work telling the story of the composer's grandfather who survived the Holocaust. His highly acclaimed a cappella piece Time will had its USA premiere by Cappella San Francisco in February 2019.

Jacob on choral music:
“My singing voice is horrible! I have never sung in a choir. But when I composed my first piece in 2011, it was for choir. Sven-David Sandström encouraged me to become a composer. His guidance and wise questioning have meant a lot to me ever since the first time we met. I am searching for some kind of spiritual essence in music. When I use the choir as an instrument, I come close to what is both human and divine at the same time. Singing and the human voice affect everyone in some way! I work a lot with timbre and harmonies. My musical expression is mysterious, meditative and emotional, in some cases also narrative. My Jewish heritage is often present in ornaments, melodies or form. In our society today, less and less people claim to be religious. But that doesn’t mean they are not spiritual. I think that our existential needs can be fulfilled through art, not least through art music.”

Three choral pieces by Jacob Mühlrad:
Time – A meditation of our time in 27 languages. SATB a cappella (advanced level) – to be released in the spring of 2019
Skall inte finnas mer – A wish for an existence without death, grief and pain, from the Book of Revelations. In Swedish. Mixed choir and strings (medium level)
Anim zemirot – grand with beautiful harmonies. In hebrew, from the Jewish service. Three version: mixed choir (medium level), reduced version (easy-medium level), femail choir (medium level)

Listen to Jacob's music on Soundcloud