GWO

Göteborg Wind Orchestra was founded in 1905 and is today a professional wind ensemble with an international reputation. During the artistic leadership of conductor Jerker Johansson from early 90’s to 2005 the orchestra completed a numerous amount of CD recordings for which the orchestra has been awarded both gold and platinum records by the international record company Naxos.

The Göteborg Wind Orchestra is today recognized as one of the most foremost wind ensembles in the world and is continuously developing it’s unique profile with a broad spectrum of classical music and entertainment repertoire. The orchestra has also with great pride produced and performed several successful childrenss concerts and is collaborating with a broad range of Swedish artists. In 2008 the orchestra was awarded a Platinum record for the recording of childrenss songs by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.

Concert productions

Göteborg Wind Orchestra has strong local and regional recognition and performs approximately 75 concerts a year in the orchestra’s own concert hall in Gothenburg. The building “Kronhuset” from 1654, is the oldest preserved building in Gothenburg and is today converted in to small concert hall mainly serving the Göteborg Wind Orchestra.

Along with ordinary concert productions in Gothenburg, the orchestra is also touring in Sweden and internationally. GWO has also the privilege to be one of the main attractions at the Gothenburg Culture Festival held in august every year. At this occasion GWO has produced and performed productions like Carl Orffss Carmina Burana together with the Gothenburg Opera Choir and soloists and a special arranged concert version of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story together with soloists and dancers.

New music outreach and international outlook

Göteborg Wind Orchestra has commissioned a numerous amount of works written by contemporary composers. The collaboration with composers is an important strategy which has given the orchestra great possibility to expand and develop the repertoire for wind ensemble.

The international outlook has intensified during the last years and GWO has completed two international tours in China (2008 and 2010). The orchestra visited some of the largest cities in China e.g. Beijing (Beijing Concert Hall), Shanghai, (Shanghai Oriental Art Center), Ningbo (Ningbo Grand Theatre), Hangzhou (Hangzhou Concert Hall), Shenzhen (Schenzhen Concert Hall), Tianjing (Tianjing Concert Hall) to mention a few. The Chinese audience saluted the orchestra’s performances with standing ovations and there is currently a re-invitation to return to China in the near future.

Göteborg Wind Orchestra is financed by the county council of culture in Västra Götaland and the city of Gothenburg. Göteborg Wind Orchestra also collaborates with the Gothenburg Railways who is the orchestra’s main sponsor.