Eric Ericson (1918-2013)

Eric Ericson (1918-2013) is, for the great majority of choir conductors and choir
singers throughout the world, the unsurpassed master in the field of choir conducting.
His entire career was devoted to choral music; his work has nor only given great
acclaim to his own choirs but has significantly contributed to a breakthrough in establishing
the status and merit of choral music and singing in choirs as a highly valuable form of
music making. Through his dedication to the field of choir and choral music, an extra-
ordinary development of skill in interpretation, voice standards and interest for the medium
from contemporary composers has arised, not only in Sweden, but all over the world where
he has been concert-touring or giving master classes.

Eric Ericson formed the Stockholm Chamber Choir in 1945 (renamed in 1988 to be called
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir). This group remained his main instrument for developing the
art of a cappella singing ever since. Side by side with his work with the Chamber Choir, he was
conductor and artistic director of the Swedish Radio Choir (1951-1982) and Orphei Drängar (1951-1991). For many years Eric Ericson was a legendary figure as professor in choir conducting
at the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm. Over the years, his international committments became steadily more extensive. Not only he appeared as guest con-
ductor with all the world´s major choirs, but in a series of some ten master classes worldwide
every year, he was appreciated as a particularly valued and stimulating teacher.

After his retirement from the post as principal conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir in 1982, professor Ericson gave numerous master classes over the world. He also guest-conducted many leading vocal groups, such as the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Groupe Vocal
de France, BBC Singers, RIAS Kammerchor, Vienna State Opera Choir, etc. He also
conducted numerous performances of major works with leading orchestras and choirs in Europe, Australia, the USA, Japan and Hongkong. He frequently collaborated with conductors as Nicolaus Harnoncourt, Claudio Abbado, James Levine, Riccardo Muti and Pierre Boulez.

1988 Eric Ericson received the Swedish Choral Conductors Prize and in 1991 the danish Sonning Music Prize. 1995 he also received the Swedish Academy Royal Prize and the Nordic Council Music Prize. 1997 he was the recipient of the prestigeous Polar Music Prize. He became honorary doctor at the Uppsala University in 1983 and at the University of Alberta, Canada in 1996. Professor Ericson was a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music and the honorary president of the International Federation for Choral Music.