Concert Program

Welcome to Festival Concert—a musical experience beyond the ordinary! When Side by Side’s massive choirs and orchestras come together in Scandinavium, you get a concert like no other, a potent manifestation of music’s immense power! This year’s concert offers a historic experience as all 2000 participants, together with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, perform the finale from Augusta Holmès’ Ode Triomphale, a piece not performed since its world premiere at the Paris World’s Fair in 1889—137 years ago!

When Irish-French Augusta Holmès, who at the time was not even allowed to study at the Paris Conservatory, was commissioned to write this grand piece, Ode Triomphale, for 1200 musicians, it was a historic achievement. Holmès was a pioneer among female composers in an era when women were expected to stick to small, delicate songs (if they composed at all), not bombastic mass arrangements.

At the Paris World’s Fair in 1889—the same fair where the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated—the piece premiered as the musical highlight of the entire exhibition.

After its premiere in 1889, Ode Triomphale’s has never been performed again, partly due to the enormous number of choristers and orchestra musicians required, and partly because Holmès, like many other female composers, has been forgotten and actively excluded throughout history.

Now, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Side by Side participants are doing something unique, performing the finale of this monumental festive work for choir and orchestra with all camp participants, simultaneously. Expect a sense of history and a musical mass performance without equal, with music that hasn’t reached an audience’s ears in 137 years!

Film Music and Nordic Tones in Focus

In addition to Holmès’ finale, this year’s concert features a repertoire filled with well-known film music and Nordic tones. Mission Impossible, a camp favorite, is joined by Emmy-winning music from The Mandalorian, composed by the new Swedish superstar Ludwig Göransson, whose innovative and genre-crossing music has been acclaimed worldwide. You’ll also enjoy Vuelie from the film Frozen, a song inspired by Sami joik and Nordic choral tradition.

Sweden’s greatest pop phenomenon, ABBA, is honored in a specially arranged medley with a touch of glitter. We also pay tribute again to Georg Riedel’s music with Bom sicka bom from Astrid Lindgren’s beloved stories about Emil in Lönneberga—a song that has become a natural part of Swedish children’s culture. All under the direction of conductors Ron Davis Alvarez, Emilia Hoving, Marjolein Vermeeren, and choir leaders Birgitta Mannerström-Molin, Ida Rosén Hamrå, and Magnus Marchinkowski Pettersson.

Don’t miss this year’s most magnificent musical experience—a concert where past and present meet, and where the musicians of the future make history together! Festival Concert marks the end of the music camp for Basic, Intermediate, and Upper Intermediate Orchestra.

Participating: All camp participants are part of the concert in varying degrees, incl Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Price: 180 SEK (Youth up to 29 years or full-time student 80 SEK)
Booking: Limited number of seats

Security: Arrive in good time! All audience members will be checked. Preferably arrive 1 hour before the concert and leave your bag at home for smoother entry.

Welcome to a soaring symphonic celebration where Side by Side’s future virtuosos join Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in a double symphony orchestra. This concert marks the end of the spring season and concludes a camp week filled with music, community, and inspiration!

The evening features the grand Procession of the Nobles from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mlada Suite, setting a festive tone for the concert. Soon, we are swept into Lillan Elkington’s Out of the Mist, whose subtle sounds create a sense of mystery and wonder. There will also be film magic when John Williams’ iconic Flying Theme from E.T. lifts the entire hall and takes the audience on a soaring journey among the stars.

The symphony orchestra joins forces with Youth Choir and singers from the Gothenburg Symphony Choir in Christopher Tin’s modern choral and orchestral work Sogno di Volare, about humanity’s dream of flying, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s texts and images. Via a high-spirited Verdi, one of today’s most exciting composers, Camille Pépin, takes us to the edge of the storm in Aux Confins de l’orage. Gothenburg’s pride, Elfrida Andrée, is represented with music from her Organ Symphony for organ and brass.

Through Maurice Ravel’s enchanted garden, the concert and all of Side by Side 2026 conclude with excerpts from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, where passion, drama, and unforgettable melodies are woven together into a moving musical story of love and death. Closing Concert is more than just a concert—it is a musical meeting place where future and tradition unite, where young musicians get to shine in the spotlight, and where the audience is treated to both classical masterpieces and innovative music in a grand symphonic setting. The concert is conducted by Marjolein Vermeeren and Emilia Hoving.

Participating: Advanced Orchestra, Pre-Advanced Orchestra, Youth Choir, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphonic Choir

Price: 180 SEK (Youth up to 29 years or full-time student 80 SEK)

Booking: Limited number of seats

Welcome to this year’s major choral event, where over 300 young singers gather on the Concert Hall’s main stage! This lunchtime concert offers a wonderful mix of sensitive tones and well-known melodies, with the power and joy of choral singing at the center.

In Choirs in Concert, the choirs take center stage and truly show their ability to create moods and soundscapes that touch the heart. The repertoire ranges from emotional, nature-inspired songs to dramatic classics and sparkling pop. Among other things, we’ll hear Vuelie, the magical opening from the film Frozen composed by Frode Fjellheim, which has become a true choral classic. Vuelie is inspired by the evocative and nature-close tones of Sami music, which we’ll also get to know better in Jan Sandström’s Biegga Njunji.

We’ll hear Nordic choral lyricism by Oskar Lindberg and Tomaso Albinoni’s painfully beautiful Adagio—an emotional storm that throws the listener between hope and despair. Bernstein’s Somewhere from West Side Story adds a touch of musical magic to the repertoire, and there will be well-known songs by Coldplay and ABBA! The concert also features music by Sweden’s beloved children’s song composer, Georg Riedel, in a newly arranged version of Bom Sicka Bom from Astrid Lindgren’s Emil in Lönneberga.

Choirs in Concert is led by Birgitta Mannerström Molin and Ida Rosén Hamrå, two of Sweden’s most accomplished and inspiring choir leaders, with musicians from Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra also participating. Welcome to an unforgettable lunchtime concert where young voices and great music meet—side by side!

Participating: Children's Choir, Pre-Upper Voices Choir, Upper Voices Choir, Youth Choir, musicians from Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Price: 80 SEK

Booking: Limited number of seats

Welcome to conclude Festival Tuesday with a concert where dance rhythms, new music, and film magic are in focus. Wind & String Orchestra is a string orchestra, wind orchestra, and symphony orchestra—all in one! Their final concert offers a colorful and varied program.

The wind orchestra presents enchanting film music with Alan Menken’s and Howard Ashman’s Beauty and the Beast, where the well-known melodies bloom in the orchestra’s sound. There will be classics for wind orchestra by Percy Grainger and Gustav Holst, and something completely different with rhythm (and music stands!) in focus in Jennifer Higdon’s Rhythm Stand from 2004. There will also be Balkan grooves!

The string orchestra sweeps the audience away with Jean Sibelius’ lyrical Romance in C major, a piece whose Nordic sound world and heartfelt melody have become a favorite among both musicians and listeners. In the same spirit, we’ll hear movements from Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite, where Renaissance dances are brought to new life. There will also be folk tunes, including a “Wedding Piece” beautifully arranged for string orchestra by the Danish String Quartet.

The evening concludes when both groups together form a symphony orchestra and perform two contemporary works: Pinar Toprak’s grand film music from Captain Marvel, a camp favorite, and Anne Victorino d’Almeida’s Rapsódia dos Rios, a swirling journey along river landscapes with rhythms that inspire new musical discoveries. All under the direction of Marjolein Vermeeren, Johannes Bergion, and Ron Davis Alvarez.

Participating: Wind & String Orchestra

Price: 80 SEK

Booking: Limited number of seats

Welcome to enjoy lovely choral singing at World of Volvo (level 2). Youth Choir will present beautiful choral pieces that evoke the feeling of summer, all under the direction of Birgitta Mannerström-Molin. Experience a short program with choir music from their varied repertoire.

World of Volvo is a brand experience centre with unique Scandinavian-style architecture covering 22,000 m². With interactive exhibitions, an exciting daily program, unique culinary experiences, entertaining events, and flexible conferencing facilities, this is a dynamic space where people and ideas meet.

Participating: Youth Choir

Price: Free

Booking: No reservation needed