Bio: Anders Hillborg gained his first musical experience singing in choirs and he was also involved in various forms of improvised music. From 1976 to 1982 he studied counterpoint, composition and electronic music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where his teachers included Gunnar Bucht, Lars-Erik Rosell, Arne Mellnäs and Pär Lindgren. Brian Ferneyhough, who was a guest lecturer at the College of Music on several occasions, was also an important source of inspiration.
Apart from occasional teaching positions, Hillborg has been a full-time freelance composer since 1982. His sphere of activity is extensive, covering orchestral, choral and chamber music as well as music for films and pop music.
1983 composed muoayiyaoum for mixed choir
1983-85 composed Celestial Mechanics for 17 solo strings and percussion
1986-89 composed Clang & Fury for large orchestra
1990 professor in composition in Malmö, Sweden
1991 The Christ Johnson Prize for Celestial Mechanics
1992 Celestial Mechanics selected work at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers
1995 composer-in-residence at the Avantti! festival in Porvoo, Finland with Magnus Lindberg and Franco Donatoni
1995 Violin Concerto selected work at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers
1996 Grammy (the Swedish Gramophone Award) as Composer of the Year for the CD "Jag vill se min älskade komma från det vilda" ("I want to see my beloved coming from the wild")
1997 Christ Johnson Prize for Violin Concerto
1999 featured composer at the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Composer Festival
2002 The orchestra piece Dreaming River wins 1st prize at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers
2003 featured composer at the Soundstreams Festival, Toronto, Canada
2005 featured composer at the Avantti!-festival in Porvoo, Finland
2008 composer-in-residence at The Aspen Music Festival
2010-2012 composer-in-residence at Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), Uppsala, Sweden
2011 world premiere of Cold Heat with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and David Zinman conducting. (January 12)
2011 world premiere of Sirens with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Master Chorale, A S von Otter, Hila Plitmann, Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (November 25)
22-31 January 2012 Roger D. Moore Distinguished Visitor in Composition at University of Toronto
2012 Grammy (the Swedish Gramophone Award) for Best Classical CD of the Year for the album Eleven Gates featuring 4 orchestral works by Hillborg.
Anders Hillborg's orchestral music has been performed by many major conductors including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alan Gilbert, Gustavo Dudamel, David Zinman, Andrey Boreyko, Yannick Nézet-Seguin, Michael Gielen, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Susanna Mälkki, Hannu Lintu, John Storgårds and many others.
Orchestras that have performed his music include Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Bayerishe Rundfunk Orchester, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonie, Helsinki Philharmonic.
He has received commissions from leading performing organisations such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Tonhalle Zürich, New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and the Gothenburg Symphony. Notable musicians he's worked with include clarinetist Martin Fröst, mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, choir conductor Eric Ericson.
