Biography

Carl Michael Bergerheim was born on New Year? Eve, 1955 in Gothenburg but grew up in the east side of V?land where a rich music life flourished. After his studies at Geijerskolan in Rans?r, V?land, he moved to Stockholm to study at The Royal Music Academy. Since then he has lived and worked in that part of the country, with the exception of studies at Berkley College of Music in America and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in England. During these years he has been working as a church musician as well as on his own compositions. The University City, Uppsala is where he has now resides for a few years.

?y music roots reach into many genres such as classical, gospel, jazz and Latin American. But during the last 15 years I have put most of my emphasis on the artistic style of my compositions. Sometimes with influences from other music traditions, such as the theatrical musical world as you might hint in the oratorio, The Prophet and the Evangelist, the double CD Light & Art Music and the suite Human Beings-Live! Although the tonal language always has to be experienced as a whole and integrated, this is very important to me.?

Education (A selection)

Degree of Master of Music in Composition, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London England 2001-02

Conducting Course in chamber music and orchestra, Uppsala summer of 1997

Berklee College of Music, Boston USA 1982-84

Educational Degree for church cantors, Stockholm 1982

Arrangement Program, the Royal College of Music, Stockholm 19977-79

Church Cantors Degree, Gothenburg 1976

Geijerskolan College in Rans?r (A miniature church musical institute) 1974-76

Scholarships

Swedish Musicians Society Scholarship, for studies in London 2001

Kristinehamns Culture Scholarship, 1982

My musical journey

I got into music relatively late in life, when I was around 13-14 years old. I was living in my hometown of Kristinehamn where a rich musical liveliness was flourishing at the time, especially for youth. The trumpet was my first primary instrument, but my interest for the piano took over. My fascination for chords and harmonies, with their sophisticated rich and clinging world flourished. Piano opened a natural and exciting way for me to compose and arrange my own music. Local bands and music schools where of course also a natural growing place.

All kinds of music was appreciated in my family, from jazz and popular music, to different types of classical and art music. My dad was a school cantor and even a little of a ?wing pianist? That naturally contributed to a wide musical variety at home. A decisive turning point for me was when I was 15 years old. While on a summer course in improvisation with Carl-Axel and Monica Dominique at Bolln?College, I was probably the youngest and least experienced participant and maybe didn’t understand to well what was being taught about improvisation scales and chords, to start with. Undeterred I arrived home and went through all my notes and the material in peace and quiet. I discovered that I had been handed a treasure chest full of ?olden tools?to compose music with. Not just to improvise but also for… why not… compose! I was no doubt the participant who got the most out of that course!

After a few years I started taking lessons on playing the church organ. That in turn led to Geijerskolan in Rans?r, in the heart of V?land. A few years after that, I got my cantors degree.

After studies at the Royal Acedemy in Stockolm, during the first 10-15 years I contributed to all kinds of musical connections such as jazz and salsa bands like Hot Salsa. I wrote a lot of arrangements, several youth musicals and some choir pieces by order. But after a few years I was longing to go deeper with my arranging, compositions and piano playing. Therefore I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, and studied there for 5 terms. I also studied ?ine writing?under Herb Pomeroy, who might be the best teacher I’ve ever had. He taught certain arrangement and composition techniques that you could develop into something very personal. Most of the music and teachings was based on jazz but also classical music. Those were very informative and educating years!

Back in Sweden I made, together with Don Pancho Chin A Loi, my co-leader, Tekash-The Afro Latin Big Band (16 musicians and singers) with some of the most renowned musicians in Stockholm: Hector Bingert saxophones, Olle Holmquist trombone, Jan Kohlin trumpet, Rafael Sida percussion among others. We took part of several live programs and recordings at Radio Sweden and other concerts around the nation.

Carl Michael Bergerheim

Philosophy and Vision

Good, genuine and well written music that feels meaningful and fun to perform, leads to good commitment and execution from singers and musicians. That in itself leads to a positive experience and a good response from the audience. This is my leading star!

It is maybe only a few years ago that I found what I consider to be ?y music? in my composing, which sometimes is of completely art musical character and sometimes a sort of acoustic synthesis of jazz, musical, classical and Latin American music. Some of my pieces and projects merge these two ways of composing.

Although my music is not a so called crossover where two or more music styles are played against each other! It’s much more intertwined than that. It is very important for me that the tonal language feels natural and integrates well for the listener.

I have always had a passion to write good and interesting music that I feel concert row music lacks. I see the need of it especially when artists and orchestras in classical contexts put together a show of ?ight’?haracter . There really needs to be more unique music that isn’t either art- or popular music performed by the very best musicians and singers, nationally and internationally.
(See ?igger scores and projects?Human Beings-Live! and The Prophet and the Evangelist)

Enriching thoughts and ideas

To touch the audience (and the artists) spirit, body and soul, which creates a total experience, I think is a yearning that is found both within me and a large audience.

I believe that it is possible to reach a sophisticated concert audience and even a more ?eneral?audience at the same occasion! Without having to compromise all the artistic quality and honesty. To be able to ?ell?this to most people it would be very unchallenging for the listener and be very bland and boring. Although that depends a lot on how you go about putting a concert together. I have already tried and experienced that with my own music in several different occasions.

At the same time I think that in the society of tomorrow there will be a thirst for more live performances. The appreciation of ?he now?and the interaction between living humans will probably grow stronger.

Seriousness and humour are two important counterpoints in my compositions. If you achieve a good balance of the two in a concert, it creates a harmonious atmosphere which is neither to heavy or shallow.

To see adults, youth and children creating something new, strong, humorous and beautiful together on stage is a driving force for me. I believe that experiences like that are healthy and enriching for both the artists and the audience.

Although I know that some of my music demands a more trained ear and a more experienced audience when it comes to art music with its foundation in classical music.

My conviction is still that my synthetic music and some of my art music is reaching and will reach an even broader audience, maybe even several age groups at once. But to build a large castle takes time… this is what I want to realise in a bigger and smaller scale with ?uman Beings Live!?(see ?igger scores and projects?)

Carl Michael Bergerheim

Compositions

St?? verk och projekt:

Profeten och Evangelisten, ett k??rk (oratorium) f??aryton, tenor, recitation, blandad k??diskantk??ch instrumentalensemble: Version1) Oboe, violoncell, piano, orgel, kontrabas, 2 slagverkare.
Version2) Som ovan, men med tillagd str? och brassektion (3 trumpeter, 2 horn, trombone och bastrombone). Orgelst?an valfri.

Speltid: (duration) ca 52 min. En CD-skiva med verket finns nu utgiven och notupplaga kommer inom kort. Se Produkter.

Texterna ?h?ade fr?Jesaja bok i Gamla testamentet och Matteus evangelium i Nya testamentet. Det som ?specifikt och sp?ande med detta verk ?kopplingen mellan Jesaja och Matteus. Den evangelist som citerar Gamla testamentet mest och s?kilt Jesaja, ?just Matteus, som h?isar till profetior som uppfyllts. Detta musikverk uruppf??s i Sveriges Riksdag 17 november 1999 vid ??l?andet av Bibel 2000 till svenska folket. Det har ?n s?s i Sveriges Radio.
Human Beings Live! En f?sprakande f??t?ning, som kanske kan beskrivas som en mix av klassisk musik, jazz och musikal, med full bes?ning som ovan. Flera solister, blandad k??barn/diskantk??ch stor orkester. Humor och allvar blandas i virituosa och lyriska s?nummer. Musikerna kommer att lyftas fram och f?lera musikaliska utmaningar i f??t?ningen. Allt material ligger i princip f?igt, kompositioner, arrangemang, och texter. Orkestrering f??ymfoniorkester ?under bearbetning. Regiss??ch koreograf kommer att involveras. Speltid: (duration) ca 2×50 min
?idpunkten f???detta projekt kommer att lanseras ??u inte fastst?t. Detta ?en ide?och dr??om jag burit p? flera ?och som jag jobbat intensivt med under lediga stunder. Det har tagit l? tid, men nu ?det n?an klart.?

Solosongs:

Words of Wisdom
a songcycle for high voice and piano (Light is Sweet, How Long, She is a Tree of Life)
Text from Proverbs and Eccleciastes in The Old Testament.

Three Poems of Andrew Motion
a duet for soprano, baritone and piano in three movements.
First performance in London 2002 in the presence of the court poet Andrew Motion

Mountains
vocalise for soprano, violoncello and piano

The Wind Blows Wherever it Pleases
for soprano, violoncello and piano

In the Shadow of an Old Oak Tree
for voice, violoncello and piano
lyrics by C.M. Bergerheim

The Street Cafe?br> for soprano, (and/or baritone),violoncello and piano
lyrics by C.M. Bergerheim

Johannes D??en
f??opran, baryton, violin, violoncell och piano
arr. f??vintett (fr?Profeten och Evangelisten)

An die Musik
for voice and piano

Genom att du ger mig
en dikt av Dom Helder Camara
f??????och piano

A Lullaby for You
A vocalise for soprano and piano

Instrumental pieces:

Snow melts in the Sun
a piece for three dancers, flute, clarinet, bassoon, harp, doublebass, piano and percussion

One Direction
for string quartet

Eurango Tango
for violin, violoncello and piano

Behind the Darkness
for violoncello and piano

The Death of Moses
for tuba and piano

Sommardag f??ioloncell och piano

Fresh Water, The Old Painter, Berceuse, Summer? Day, The Liht of Life is Forever, Behind the Darkness, There Was a Light, Sing Me a Lullaby, For a Child is Born,
Drops of Mercy
Peaceful songs and pieces arranged for piano. Recorded on the CD Melodies and Lullabies.