Concert Hall

A concert organist, composer and performer of folk music, at an early age Gunnar Idenstam found himself in conflict between the folk and symphony rock of the 1970s and the pious atmosphere of the Church by which he was surrounded when studying the organ. The idea of creating foundations and supporting mixed musical genres, which he does today, came to Idenstam at the time of his musical quests at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and subsequently in Paris, where the musician received a classical education under Jacques Taddei and the legendary Marie-Claire Alain. In both countries Gunnar Idenstam has been awarded numerous prestigious prizes. In 1984 he became the first organist in Northern Europe to win the Grand Prix at the prestigious International Improvisation Competition in Chartres. In Paris in 1985 he won the Virtuoso Prize and special 1st prize (unanimously and with the congratulations of the jury) from the Conservatoire National de Rueil-Malmaison.

The musician’s international career took off in 1986. At present he frequently gives recitals and performs in ensembles of folk music as well as in duets with virtuoso trombonist Christian Lindberg.

With his incredibly individual, virtuoso and at times even “percussive” approach to performing the organ, the musician makes the instrument resound to its full capacity, as, for example, in arrangements of Ravel’s Bolero and Debussy’s La Mer.

Gunnar Idenstam has composed numerous organ arrangements of Swedish folk music. He also composes his own works in which he combines the French Church tradition, folk motifs and symphonic rock.

Idenstam has been commissioned to compose for the Värmland Classical Music Festival and the Lahti Organ Music Festival as well as for various music ensembles in Northern Europe. His ecclesiastical works have been used in productions by choreographer Margaretha Åsberg, and he has written original compositions for productions by the choreographer and dancer Virpi Pahkinen.

Gunnar Idenstam has recently given recitals at the Warsaw Philharmonic, the National Concert Hall in Madrid, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, the  Église Saint-Eustache in Paris, the Concert Hall of the Cologne Philharmonie, the Ivan Cankar Concert Hall in Ljubljana and the Svetlanov Concert Hall in Moscow. In 2010 the musician released his second CD, Låtar II (Swedish folk melodies) which he recorded with Johan Hedin and a disc of contemporary folk music called Jukkaslåtar (Songs for Jukkasjärvi) which he recorded with a  Laponian joik group.

The musician’s CDs are produced by Gehrmans and Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia Inc.