The Jussi Festival at Strömsbruk
This year’s Jussi Festival at Strömsbruk on 3 – 4 September, had a lot of interesting things to offer. After the local brass-band Ströms Bruksorkester had opened, the main event started: a concert where this year’s Jussi Björling Prize Winner, tenor Ole Aleksander Bang, bass Nils Gust’en and soprano Elisabeth Sundin sang. Moreover Carl Johan Bladin played music by Maurice Ravel on clarinet – all of this accompanied on the piano by Lennart Eng. The evening was rounded off by the siblings Ann-Charlotte and Lars Björling playing recordings by their daddy Jussi together with Stefan Olmårs and Harald Henrysson.
Next morning started with Johan Adlercreutz, owner of the youth hostel Kustleden, informed us about Strömsbruk and its history. After that Lars Björling gave a concert with Samuel Skönberg at the piano and Lars Björling and Harald Henrysson finished the programme with a conversation about David Björling.
Samuel Skönberg and Lars Björling
A more extensive report will be published in the Jussi Björling Society’s Magazine, which will be distributed to the members around 1 December.
Text: Calle Friedner
Translation: Göran Forsling