Bengt Ollén

Bengt Ollén (born 17 August 1950 in Lidköping, Sweden) is a Swedish choral conductor, music teacher, adjudicator and lecturer. In 1995 Ollén founded Sofia Vokalensemble that has emerged as one of the world's leading amateur choirs.

Bengt Ollén
Bengt Ollén in 2013
Born(1950-08-17)17 August 1950
Lidköping, Sweden
NationalitySwedish
Occupation
  • Choral conductor
  • Music teacher
  • Adjudicator
  • Lecturer

Career
Bengt Ollén's choir Sofia Vokalensemble in 2014

After studying mechanical engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg Ollén received his Master's Degree in 1976. After briefly working at Swedish ball-bearing company SKF in Gothenburg he decided that he loved music more than mechanics. Ollén then studied music at the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden for professors Gösta Ohlin and Gunnar Eriksson. In 1981 he founded the still active vocal ensemble Amanda in Gothenburg, and in 1995 he founded Sofia Vokalensemble in Stockholm, that won the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in 2012.[1] In 2015 Sveriges Radio, the Swedish public-broadcasting system, appointed Sofia Vokalensemble under Bengt Ollén as Sweden's representative in Let the Peoples Sing (LTPS), an international choir competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).[2]

Ollén works as choral conductor and teacher in choral singing at Stockholms Musikgymnasium, a highly competitive High School program combining Natural and Social Science programs with advanced choral courses. Stockholms Musikgymnasium accepts students based on a combination of grade point average, singing auditions and tests in music theory.[3] In the 14th International Choir Competition in Budapest, Hungary in 2013 a Stockholms Musikgymnasium class choir directed by Ollén participated in three categories (Mixed choirs, Male choirs and Female choirs) and won gold in all, plus the Grand Prix for the entire competition.[4] In 2016 Ollén once again brought a Stockholms Musikgymnasium class choir to an international competition, this time to the 10th International Choir Competition in Zadar, Croatia, where the choir won the same categories plus the Grand Prix.[5]

Ollén is frequently invited as guest lecturer and choir conductor at universities, choir festivals and concerts in Sweden and abroad, and as judge at international choral competitions.[6]

Bengt Ollén arranged the Sweden folk song Trilo in 2017 and his arrangement has been described as "highly atmospheric music".[7]

Personal life

Ollén lives in Stockholm but spends much of his time in Dala-Floda where he owns an old cottage and sometimes helps to arrange concerts.[8][9] He is married and has an adult daughter.

References
  1. "Results - 24th European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (GPE)" (in Slovenian). Astrum. 22 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  2. "We're in the final!". Sofia Vokalensemble. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-05. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  3. "Sjung ut!" (in Swedish). Stockholms stad. Archived from the original on 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  4. "14th International Choir Competition, Budapest, Hungary" (PDF). Interkultur. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  5. "Results 2016". Concert Office Zadar. Archived from the original on 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2016-06-06.
  6. "Conductor Bengt Ollén". Sofia Vokalensemble. Archived from the original on 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  7. "Recording of the Month: Song of the North". MusicWeb International. April 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  8. Lovisa Svenn (1 August 2009). "Framgångskör inbjuder till konsert" (in Swedish). Dalarnas Tidningar (local Swedish newspaper). Archived from the original on 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  9. Kent Olsson (27 June 2014). "Högklassig final – och ett vågspel" (in Swedish). Dalarnas Tidningar (local Swedish newspaper). Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
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