Fredrik Ekdahl is leader of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra’s bassoon section and held the same position in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He performs regularly with orchestras including London Symphony Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Australian Chamber Orchestra.

He has appeared as soloist with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. New works have also been composed especially for Ekdahl, such as Jesper Nordin’s bassoon concerto, Vicinities.

Fredrik Ekdahl is a dedicated chamber musician and regularly performs in festivals all over the world. He has collaborated with world-class musicians such as violinist Janine Jansen and clarinettist Martin Fröst. Ekdahl is a Professor at the Hochschule för Musik Trossingen in Germany.

Summary

Fredrik Ekdahl discusses his journey as a bassoonist, his experiences in orchestras, his love for chamber music, and his passion for contemporary music. He shares insights on his early musical inspirations, working with renowned conductors, being well prepared for performances. He enjoys playing in orchestras and chamber music ensembles, finding joy in the direct communication and collaboration with other musicians. He also shares his passion and approach to contemporary pieces, including performing and recording Jesper Nordin’s bassoon concerto “Vicinities”. 

Fredrik also talks about his role as a bassoon professor in Trossingen and his hobbies outside of music. As a bassoon professor, Fredrik emphasizes the importance of a supportive and collaborative learning environment for his students.

Find out more about Fredrik’s bassoon studio here:

https://www.hfm-trossingen.de/hochschule/personen/detail/fredrik-ekdahl

Thank you to Tutti Fagotti GmbH for sponsoring this episode.

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hosted by Jo Anne Sukumaran

Chapters

00:00 The Beginning of a Musical Journey

08:24 Collaborating with Conductors

15:05 The Importance of Preparation

28:32 Teaching Bassoon and Fostering a Musical Community

31:54 Finding Balance and Looking Ahead

Opening credits:

Camille Saint-Saëns Bassoon Sonata, courtesy of artist I. Allegretto Moderato, bassoon - Fredrik Ekdahl piano - Stefan Lindgren Recorded in Grünewaldsalen/Stockholms Konserthus in December 2021 as a part of the film series Mankind and Music at Konserthuset Play. Film - David Tarrodi Sound engineer - Håkan Ekman