Emil JONASON

Portrayed as “The Yngwie Malmsteen of the clarinet” by the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Emil Jonason (b. 1983) is one of the leading clarinetists of his generation. He has developed a highly characteristic and charismatic playing which has led to invitations from across the globe. Emil was nominated for European Concert Hall Organization’s Rising Star recital series after his performance of John Corigliano’s clarinet concerto together with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and was invited to perform at Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Köln, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Cité de la Musique Paris, Brussels BOZAR and many more. In the fall of 2013 he made his US debut at the legendary Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, performing Magnus Lindberg’s tremendous clarinet concerto. “A performance completely owned by Jonason” according to San Fransisco Classical voice. Emil became known to the world when he performed at the 2012 year’s Nobel Prize Ceremony, together with the RSPO. In the fall of 2013, Emil received instant standing ovations from the world premiere of Christian Lindberg’s clarinet concerto “The Erratic Dreams of Mr Grönstedt”, a performance described by Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter as “one moment he is theatrically extroverted and the next there is a poetic sensitively in pianissimos you did not know existed, a range of expressions that got the Gothenburg audience completely knocked out.” As a chamber musician Emil has played the Scandinavian countries, Europe, South America and Japan with different ensembles. In 2008 he toured China with the Stockholm Chamber Trio and was the same year chosen to represent Sweden in EBU New Talent. Other merits include first prize in the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe competition as well as the Solofoni Prize, awarded by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. Emil released his first CD ”Beautiful Insanities” on his own label, playing together with the acclaimed Swedish pianist Peter Friis Johansson. Scandinavia’s leading classical music magazine OPUS wrote in their CD review: “an excellent duo with great artistic depth, performing with a healthy dose of musical anarachy. First class!” Emil and Peter have been performing as a duo for more than a decade, and have since their first concert constantly aimed to broaden the borders of classical music. Their newest concert program “Worst of…” will be premiered October 2014 in Stockholm. Tutoring young musicians has always been a passion for Emil, and since 2010 he teaches clarinet at his old school, The Royal College in Stockholm. As of 2012 he is also head of the clarinet department at the Mälardalen University in Västerås, west of Stockholm. The music and tales of the incomparable Tom Waits is a bottomless source of inspiration to Emil; Emil started listening to his music some eight, nine years ago, and has no plans of turning off the stereo.