View source for Eric Ericson

{{Short description|Swedish choral conductor and teacher}}
{{for multi|the Swedish actor|Eric Ericson (actor)|other people|Eric Erickson (disambiguation){{!}}Eric Erickson}}
[[File:Eric Ericsson, grundare av Eric Ericssons kammarkor. Koren fick Nordiska Radets musikpris vid Nordiska Radets session i Oslo. 2007-10-31. Foto- Magnus Froderberg-norden.org.jpg|thumb|Eric Ericson (2007)]]
'''Eric Gustaf Ericson'''<ref>{{Audio|sv-Eric Eriksson.ogg|Pronunciation}}</ref> (26 October 1918&nbsp;– 16 February 2013)<ref>[http://www.od.se/ Eric Ericson 26/10 1918 — 16/2 2013] [[Orphei Drängar]] official website {{in lang|sv}}<br>[http://www.unt.se/kultur/korledaren-eric-ericson-dod-2279995.aspx Körledaren Eric Ericson död], Upsala Nya Tidning, 16 February 2013. {{in lang|sv}}<br>[http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=5445622 Körlegenden Eric Ericson har gått bort] [[Sveriges Radio]] 16 February 2013 {{in lang|sv}}<br>[https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/korledaren-eric-ericson-avliden/ Körledaren Eric Ericson avliden] ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'' 16 February 2013 {{in lang|sv}}</ref> was a [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[choir|choral]] [[conducting|conductor]] and influential choral teacher.

==Life and career==
He graduated from the [[Royal College of Music, Stockholm|Royal College of Music]] (''Kungl. Musikhögskolan'') in [[Stockholm]] in 1943 and went on to complete his studies abroad, at the [[Schola Cantorum Basiliensis]], [[Switzerland]], and in [[Germany]], [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]], and the [[United States]].

Renowned for his innovative teaching methods and the wide-ranging nature of his repertoire, Ericson was the principal conductor of the [[Orphei Drängar]] choir at [[Uppsala University]] from 1951 until 1991, and choirmaster until 1982 of the [[Swedish Radio Choir]] which was established on his initiative in 1951. Also in 1951, he began his teaching career at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he became a legendary and inspirational figure, and he was appointed to the [[professor|chair]] of choral conducting there in 1968.
In 1983 Ericson received an [[Honorary degree|honorary doctorate]] from the Faculty of Humanities at [[Uppsala University]], [[Sweden]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uu.se/en/about-uu/traditions/prizes/honorary-doctorates/|title = Honorary doctorates - Uppsala University, Sweden}}</ref>

He won the [[Nordic Council Music Prize]] in 1995, and in 1997 Ericson shared the [[Polar Music Prize]] with [[Bruce Springsteen]]: the citation was for "pioneering achievements as a conductor, teacher, artistic originator and inspirer in Swedish and international choral music". On the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1998, [[Swedbank]] of Sweden endowed an "Eric Ericson Chair in Choral Directing" at Uppsala University.

He founded the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, and worked as a guest conductor for many ensembles and choirs including [[Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble]] (Bach's Passions), [[Netherlands Chamber Choir]] (Poulenc), [[Accentus (choir)|Chœur de chambre Accentus]], Paris (Finnish works).

His conducting for the 1975 Bergman film ''[[The Magic Flute (1975 film)|The Magic Flute]]'' was described as "impressive" in its balance of "levity and solemnity", and the reviewer noted that Ericson was "a Mozartian to be reckoned with".<ref name="EvidonMT">Evidon, Richard. Bergman and 'The Magic Flute'. ''[[The Musical Times]]'', Vol. 117, No. 1596 (February 1976), pp. 130-131.</ref>

==Awards==
*[[Litteris et Artibus]] (1968)<ref>''[[Svenska Dagbladet]]'', 17 November 1968, p. 12</ref>
*[[Léonie Sonning Music Prize]] (1991; [[Denmark]])
*[[Nordic Council Music Prize]] (1995, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland)
*[[Polar Music Prize]] (1997, Sweden)
*[[Illis quorum]] (1988)<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2006 |title=Regeringens belöningsmedaljer och regeringens utmärkelse: Professors namn |url=https://www.regeringen.se/contentassets/61bab671f59a46af81cb11ee99e0d0eb/regeringens-beloningsmedaljer-och-regeringens-utmarkelse-professors-namn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102152834/https://www.regeringen.se/contentassets/61bab671f59a46af81cb11ee99e0d0eb/regeringens-beloningsmedaljer-och-regeringens-utmarkelse-professors-namn |archive-date=2021-11-02 |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=Regeringskansliet |language=sv}}</ref>
*[[KTH Royal Institute of Technology|KTH Great Prize]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Haraldsson |first=Marcus |date=2005-09-01 |title=Eric Ericson vann KTH:s stora pris |language=sv |work=[[Svenska Dagbladet]] |url=https://www.svd.se/a/bbcc516e-1313-3749-be46-7de20ed0e65f/eric-ericson-vann-kths-stora-pris |access-date=2022-05-31 |issn=1101-2412}}</ref>

==Selected recordings==
*Compositions by [[Ingvar Lidholm]], [[Sven-David Sandström]], [[Tomas Jennefelt]], [[Jorgen Jersild]] - Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Caprice CAP21461 2002.
* ''Skandinavien'' - Choir de Chambre Accentus, FCM (2000)

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.polarmusicprize.se/newSite/1997.shtml Prizewinners of 1997] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040414161406/http://www.polarmusicprize.se/newSite/1997.shtml |date=2004-04-14 }} – Polar Music Prize
*[http://www.art-bin.com/art/aericsone.html Eric Ericson - 50 years with the Chamber Choir] - Interview with Eric Ericson from 1997 in The Art Bin Magazine
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=q22604|pure_url=yes}} Eric Ericson] at [[Allmusic]]

== See also ==
*[[List of Swedes in music]]

{{Léonie Sonning Music Prize laureates}}
{{Polar Music Prize}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ericson, Eric}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:Swedish choral conductors]]
[[Category:Litteris et Artibus recipients]]
[[Category:Royal College of Music, Stockholm, alumni]]
[[Category:Schola Cantorum de Paris alumni]]
[[Category:Swedish male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:People from Borås]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize]]
[[Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Illis quorum]]
[[Category:Musicians from Västra Götaland County]]