captivated by music

From the 23rd to the 28th August 1973 several bank employees were held hostage in vaults of the Kreditbank at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm, Sweden. During this time the victims of this siege began to express empathy and sympathy for their captors, a psychological phenomenon that has since become know as the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. These very unique circumstances combined with the intensity of the experience had a remarkable effect on the victims.

Some forty years later the Stockholm Syndrome Ensemble was formed, in Stockholm, with the hope of creating concert programmes that would give audiences a more healthy dose of Stockholm syndrome; the aim, to give the audience the opportunity to hear music set in a surprising and illuminating context, one which heightens the listening experience.

Whilst not bound by size, style or genre most concerts include this founding group of players. Often the programmes are built around an event, idea or concept. This narrative or thread (sometimes unspoken in the form of images and sometimes spoken with film and voice) allows the comparison and contrast of music across all periods and styles. As a result the ensemble has performed music from Purcell to Bob Dylan and Messiaen to Radiohead collaborating with musicians such as Margareta Bengtsson, Olivia Chaney, Sebastien Dubbé, Ruby Hughes, Gustav Lundgren, Anne Sofie von Otter, Elin Rombo, Andrew Staples, artist Joanne Grüne-Yanoff and juggler Jay Gilligan. The ensemble was the subject of a documentary for Swedish TV. Stockholm Syndrome Ensembles praised debute album Moveable Feast (Channel Classics) with music by Ravel, de Falla and Vaughan-Williams was released in 2016.

So far we have had our series of concerts at Musikaliska. See here link for our previous projects. Musikaliska is the oldest concert hall in the city - and is located not far from the scene for the Stockholm Syndrome crime. So we have felt at home there! 

The bar area downstairs allows us the chance to meet you in a less intense way. We usually present a live ’playlist’ to complement our concert, dessert after the main meal. 

Lately we have also had a cooperation with Konserthuset and played regularly at their smaller hall Grünewaldsalen.

Dance Dance Dance

Stockholm Syndrome Ensemble plays music all connected to dance. Some of Swedens most exciting dancers makes the music into suttle movement.

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