There’s so much you want to fix and we have so much exciting Aurora things on the drawing table.
Lots of great artists, festivals and 1000 details, all to be packaged into final understandable  concepts.

All this inspiration and job makes me crazy. Also all the undelivered “fantastic” ideas that are just gnaw at the conscience
It is as difficult as it is fantastic, and wonder if I will make in the end.
In addition to all this fun, I’ve just become a father and Edvin (my son) has a completely different concept of time than I am.
Edvin is fierce and whip me into better discipline which in itself was about time;)
The love and energy he gives me all the time is probably exactly what I need now to be able to produce even better. … I get crazy of all positive around me … ..
Now I have to start focusing on the Aurora Spring Festival April 23 to 29 and creating some funky ads for these concerts and artists. … I have like 8 minutes for that before Edvin wake up and demands 101% attention again.
Dear friends – I hear and see you soon I hope (if Edvin allows it;)

Kind regards – Ola

http://www.aurorachambermusic.com/

Wigmore. Finally we got our Wigmore debut. And a real one, a Saturday night concert, wow!!

This is now 17 years ago and things were different then, were they not? Come on, cellphones were something totally out of reach expensive, computers at home? well, no…..flying was still expensive…..anyhow, no shadow on present day, but I think things were just a little bit more….hmm, not so much ’totally within reach’ as it is in todays instant communication society. Agree?

Of course it is deeply personal, but I think all performing artists recognise the sometimes killing anxiety you can have before a performance, it can be weeks before or the few hours just before. Luckily for me it always, well almost always, goes away just before I go on stage. Of course in my quartet, with 4 commited but yet totally different individuals, the whole range of classical behaviour was at display; Walking on and off jawning, hiding in the toilet doing stuff, taking symbolic cover in a corner of a room, smoking non-filter Gauloises outside…So, after capturing the tremendous atmosphere of the legendary green-room, and after yet another disastrous dress-rehearsal…we went on stage – and played like Gods together.

This is a wonder, one of the strongest experiences; how we almost always came together in the music, in the love for each other.For 2 x 45 minutes letting all personal issues aside, finding back to the root, why we got together at first, why we sacrificed so many other things to travel 8-9 months around the world together, of which living 5-6 months a year in Aberdeen, Scotland at the University of Aberdeen.

We had a full house this Saturday night, fantastic atmosphere, we felt like kings – sorry, ancient nordic Gods….))) The concert was a success, standing ovations before interval, several encores, and usual and to the loud amusement from the crowd – our wonderful Mr Magic 1st violin threw himself off the chair on to the floor playing a crazy swedish little piece…

After the concert the Swedish ambassadeur held a reception for us and 200 invited people. All our parents, girlfriends, some Swedish fans, the Aberdeen delegation. The widow of Peter Schidlof Margaret and Norbert Brainins wife Katinka came together telling me it was as in the old days of the Amadeus quartet…chills down the spine….I remember the incredible happiness that evening, the following super-review we got in The Times is nothing compared to the surreal feeling of having a smoke with my father outside the embassy slightly round under the feet, and letting the guard go down while silently embracing one of my colleagues from the quartet, all is forgiven.

Proud? Yes, we were proud because we had so many dreams that we were working for very hard. We share so many beautiful moments together, and noone can ever take that away from us even if we in the end unevitably could not keep the group together. Not one day passes without me thinking of these days with the quartet. Thank you guys.

A famous 1st violinist from an older generation, who played quartet for 39 years once told us that ”- playing quartet is the most important thing you can do with your life, you are devoting your life and time to the peak of the humanity.” This is of course a deeply personal view, but nevertheless this devotion and effort deserves respect, and you guys who have touched this repertoire can maybe get the direction.

I am blessed that these experiences and dreams, the love for the repertoire, the phenomenal kick of playing together now continues and have a life through Aurora Chamber Music./Per.

Just a reminder about the deadline February 15th for the Aurora Spring Masterclasses April 23rd – 29th.

AND, to make your life and the Aurora application so much easier, we have now seriously modified the application)))

Enjoy the easy step-by-step application here:

https://aurorachambermusic.wufoo.com/forms/scandinavian-master-classes-a-april-2012/

NO course fee, and:

Krzysztof Wegrzyn –Violin
Professor at the University of Music and Drama Hannover

Latica Honda-Rosenberg – Violin
Professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Maxim Rysanov – Viola
Soloist and chamber musician

Torleif Thedéen – Cello
Professor at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm /Edsberg Manor

Fabio Bidini – Piano
Professor at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin

Per Nyström – Chamber Music
Solo cellist and artistic director of Aurora Chamber Music

Very best wishes,

/Per & Ola

Luckily, we have finally found a new employee that joined the Aurora team. Her name is Serena Nobili and you will surely meet her soon.

Very WELCOME Serena.

It is both an honor and very nice that so many great artists are coming to Aurora in 2012 or how about for example:

Alexander Zemtsov (Vla)
Cecilie Löken (Fl)
Charlotte Hellekant (Mezzo)
Ernesto Bango (Cimb.)
Fabio Bidini (Pi)
Gary Hofman (Vlc)
Johannes Gustavsson (Cond.)
Jonas Bylund (Tbn)
Konstantin Bogino (Pi)
Kryzctof Wegrzyn (Vl)
Latica Honda-Rosenberg (Vl)
Maxim Rysanov (Vla)
Michael Thompson (Hrn)
Ole Kristian Dahl (Fgt)
Pavel Vernikov (Vl)
Peter Donohoe (Pi)
Robert Cohen (Vlc)
Roby Lakatos (Vl)
Sebastien Dubé (D.Bass)
Stephan Picard (Vl)
Svetlana Makarova (Vl)
Tatjana Masurenko (Vla)
Torleif Thedeen (Vlc)
Urban Agnas (Tpt)
Victor Tretiakov (Vl)
Yehuda Gilad (Cl)

We also look forward to meeting the hundreds of other artists that are also coming to Aurora in the year and of course our special audiences.

Most topical right now is master class and festival which will take place in April see http://www.aurorachambermusic.com/ for more information. The application deadline for students if February 15th.

Hope to see you all in April!

Today I went to Auroras lunch concert and listened to the Piano Quartet in F minor by Franck. I had never heard it before but it was absolutely fantastic. I will add it to my playlist.

The feeling among the audience feels very open and curious. The evening offered everything from cello metal to tango and viola quartet. Initiated did Aurora band consisting of Sebastien Dube on the double bass that had invited three of his friends who gave us beautiful rhythms from all around the world. Then the rest of the evening, played the course students with different ensembles. Students have only known each other for a few days and succeed in just one day to make such good performance, fantastic!

Crazy Night Before, it was a bit more classical concert in the Assembly Hall. We got to hear one of Brahms Piano Trio, a piano piece by Clara Schumann and Brahms violinsonata. Absolutely wonderful! Samuel Frööler also told about the love affair between Brahms and Clara Schumann.