Music at LiU

Music at LiU has four ensembles (three choirs and an orchestra) that hold about 20 concerts per year, individually, together or in collaboration with others (for example, the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra). They consist of students, alumni and other singers and musicians who want to make high-level music under the guidance of professional conductors and join a collaboration and network that brings both joy and benefit to many. Entire ensembles, or parts of them, can be booked for entertainment at various events. Music at LiU also offers single-subject courses in orchestral playing and choral activities each academic year, both on campus and remotely.
Christina Hörnell is director musices and Merete Ellegaard is assistant director musices. Rehearsals take place in Musicum at Campus Valla in Linköping. If you want to play or sing, you are welcome to contact us for an instrumental or singing audition. If you want to study the Symphony Orchestra or Choral Activities courses for up to three terms, you are welcome to submit your application.

More than singing and music

For LiU students (and others), the actual performance of music is an opportunity to train in key competences, such as collaboration, leadership, communication and listening. Also, the work around an ensemble provides training in association activities and organisation.
For many, the choir or orchestra means a break from studying where they can be part of a whole and focus on something completely different. Especially for those who move here from another place, the choir/orchestra can be the context where they find new friends and network across the study disciplines. It is not uncommon for people to meet their special friend/life partner in one of our ensembles. You have fun, travel together and grow together here. You will also make valuable contacts for future placements and jobs.

The opportunity to play in an orchestra and sing in a choir attracts some, particularly international, students to LiU. For exchange students, it is in the orchestra, and sometimes the choir, they meet Swedish friends and learn about the culture here.
Another task that Music at LiU’s choirs and orchestra have is to raise the profile of LiU in society in places where LiU is otherwise not visible, for example through concerts. The ensembles also represent LiU when they are on tour, participate in competitions and are heard on recordings and seen in film clips.

A societal role

LiU plays an important societal role by having under its aegis the Linköping Academic Orchestra and the Linköping University Chamber Choir, which are two ensembles that engage competent and experienced amateur musicians and professionals – both inside and outside LiU. LiU’s collaboration with Linköping University Male Voice Choir and Linnea, the university’s female choir, also guarantees stability for a women’s and a men’s choir in Linköping. There are thus four large ensembles offering high-quality music experiences at a time when publicly funded support for music activities for non-professionals is declining.
Music at LiU is also an important employer for freelance musicians who are hired both as teachers and for concerts. Linköping Academic Orchestra also invites artists to come and perform works as preparation for playing them with a professional orchestra or at a competition. The young Swedish star violinist Johan Dalene is an example of a musician who has played with the orchestra to prepare for a competition. He now has an international career.

An old tradition

Having organised music activities of this nature at a university is an ancient tradition from a time when music and art were considered as important as science.
Not least, Music at LiU provides an important and grand setting for the Academic Celebrations. LiU has its own orchestra in place in the pit at the conferment ceremony and has several professional ensembles on stage during the gala concert the night before, which helps create the feeling of a particularly dignified occasion.