A unique environment to live in, and to evolve in

A unique environment to live in, and to evolve in

Johannes Pollak is an orchestral producer at Folkoperan in Stockholm. He also used to study at the School of Music in Piteå. Here he comments on his days as a student and how his education has shaped his career.

What did you study at the School of Music in Piteå at LTU?

I studied composition from 2013 to 2019, first a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree.

The school is housed in the same building as the concert hall Studio Acusticum, what possibilities did that create for you during your studies?

Having the School of Music next to an amazing concert hall created possibilities that proved to be absolutely crucial for me. During my studies I got the opportunity to work as a producer for a festival as well as for a lavish production of Carmina Burana. Taking that step into the professional world as a student can often be difficult, but the concert hall Acusticum became a perfect bridge into working life for me.

What was the best thing about your studies?

The teachers of course, without a doubt! The vast amount of knowledge and skill presented to me as a student is something I’m still using and learning from. I remember lessons in composition where a classmate and I were taught by Jan Sandström and Fredrik Högberg at the same time. They often agreed that the music I had made needed improving, but there was such an intense debate of how best to go about it. I have never learnt more than I did during those lessons – and probably never will.

What’s it like studying in Piteå?

It’s wonderful to study in Piteå because you can really immerse yourself completely in your studies. The combination of the School of Music and the concert hall Acusticum creates a unique environment that I’m infinitely grateful to have experienced and evolved in. The town itself is also cosy and just the right size, meaning it has a lot to offer, but doesn’t take time away from you. No long trips on public transport to exhaust you and make you lose focus on your studies.

What do you do nowadays?

These days I work as an orchestral producer at Folkoperan in Stockholm. I’m so extremely grateful to have had the chance to work as a producer already in Piteå, at Acusticum as well as for Erik Westbergs Vokalensemble. Working as an orchestral producer is a lot of fun, but it can be very stressful at times, to say the least. What I learnt in Piteå is completely vital to everything I do in my professional life, Parallel to my work at Folkoperan I try to find the time to compose as much as possible. A couple of weeks ago my first opera was premiered: the chamber opera “De som kom över havet”.

If you could make a wish, what would you like to work with in future?

In many ways I really have my dream job right now… but if I could make a wish a dream job would be to compose a full-length opera for one of Sweden’s grand opera houses!