Jacob Mühlrad’s newly composed work inspired by quantum physics performed at the Nobel Prize banquet
With less than two weeks left until the Nobel Prize banquet, the Nobel Foundation now reveals the people behind this year’s divertissement in City Hall on 10 December. Jacob Mühlrad has composed and is in charge of the music. Artist Alexander Wessely is in charge of the visual experiences. A world premiere will be presented during the evening, dedicated to this year’s Nobel Prize laureates. This is a newly composed piece by Mühlrad including a marimba solo.
“We want to show off the best we have to offer in Sweden during the Nobel Week. This is also the case when it comes to the entertainment during the banquet. This year, we highlight several brilliant talents who are also successful on the international stage. I am sure that this evening will be something truly special”, says Hanna Stjärne, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation.
Jacob Mühlrad is in charge of the divertissement and has composed the music. During the evening, new versions of his earlier pieces are interwoven with one another. There will be a solo tenor, string orchestra, mixed choir, marimba and clarinet in newly composed musical arrangements. The pieces performed include an interpretation of Swedish House Mafia’s One and music from Björn Runge’s movie Bränn alla mina brev. The evening also features a world premiere dedicated to this year’s Nobel Prize laureates.
“For me, music serves as a bridge between people, cultures and worlds. The concept I have used is inspired by the spirit of Nobel, where research, literature and humanism come together. My newly composed work to be performed, Superposition, is influenced by quantum physics. I am also both happy and grateful to have managed to bring together such a talented group for the occasion,” says Jacob Mühlrad.
The young percussionist Adélaïde Ferrière will play marimba in the newly composed work. This is an instrument similar to a xylophone, where it is possible to play a tremolo – in other words, quickly switching between two notes so that the audience experiences them as a single, unified sound.
The visual director is the artist Alexander Wessely, who has collaborated with Jacob Mühlrad for several years. He has designed visual experiences for artists such as Swedish House Mafia, The Weeknd and Grimes.
“The light festival Nobel Week Lights brings the celebration of the Nobel Prize laureates out into the city by means of artistic light installations. This year, we also bring this light into the Blue Hall with the help of Alexander Wessely. This will be a light art experience created for this particular occasion and this amazing room,” says Hanna Stjärne.
The Stockholm Concert Orchestra, led by Sofia Winiarski, is also part of the divertissement, as are Vokalharmonin, led by Fredrik Malmberg, and Magnus Holmander on clarinet. Arrangement by Petter Ekman.
The entire divertissement programme with all acts will be presented on 10 December.
On 5 December, the Nobel Foundation will announce who will be this year’s chef and pastry chef. This will occur in a press conference at the Nobel Prize Museum.
The entire press programme for the Nobel Week can be found here.
The works of composer Jacob Mühlrad have been performed by, among others, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Swedish Radio Choir, as well as at international institutions such as Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Sphere in Las Vegas and Radio France in Paris with conductors and musicians such as Pablo Heras-Casado and Martin Fröst. He is known for his existential music and his diverse collaborations with international artists such as Anyma, 070 Shake and Swedish House Mafia, as well as music for theatre and film.
Alexander Wessely works as a visual artist and creative director. His artistic practice moves between sculpture, spatial installations, film and large-scale scenography, where body, light and architecture are intertwined in visual worlds. Wessely has created works and scenography for artists such as The Weeknd, FKA Twigs and Arca, as well as works presented at the Royal Dramatic Theatre and Konserthuset Stockholm. His works have been exhibited in international venues such as Sphere in Las Vegas, Museu del Disseny de Barcelona and Madison Square Garden in New York.
The internationally renowned concert percussionist, Adélaïde Ferrière, has performed in more than thirty countries. She has appeared at prestigious venues including the Philharmonie de Paris, the Snow Concert Hall in Canberra and the Tokyo New National Theater. She has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Orchestre National de France, the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, and the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Sir George Benjamin, Matthias Pintscher, Holly Choe, and others. Winner of the 24th Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2017.