Let us introduce this year's conductors and leaders
We have a fantastic set of conductors and leaders for this year's Side by Side by El Sistema!
Here we introduce them one by one.
Ron Davis Alvarez
Ron started as one of El Sistema's violinists in his home country of Venezuela. Today, he is a household name in musical learning and travels around the world as a conductor and ambassador for El Sistema. In 2017 he was nominated for the prestigious Global Teacher Prize. Ron is the mastermind behind the Dream Orchestra project and one of Side by Side's artistic advisers. In 2020 he was awarded Göran Lagervalls pedagogstipendium by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music..
Birgitta Mannerström-Molin
Birgitta is active in Gothenburg, where she manages a comprehensive choir organisation for children and youths in Härlanda Parish. In 2016 she was named Sweden's Children's and Youth Choir Leader of the year and today she is a well received guest conductor throughout the country. Birgitta helped establish El Sistema in Sweden and is one of Side by Side's artistic advisers.
ANDERS RENBERG
Anders has double degrees in the recorder and a past in musical science. He has his musical home in medieval and renaissance music both as a musician and a sought-after teacher. In addition to the recorder, Anders also plays several other medieval instruments and is a member of the Medieval Ensemble Ambrosia.
SIMON PHIPPS
Simon is from England and has studied in Cambridge, London, Munich, and Manchester. He lives in Gothenburg and has won several international awards with the Swedish Chamber Choir. Simon is the artistic leader and conductor for the Gothenburg Symphony Youth Orchestra VÄGUS as well as the Fall Break Choir—in addition to this, he also does opera conducting at Läckö Castle each summer.
Marjolein has a double degree in flute and wind band conducting. She grew up in the southern Netherlands where there is a big tradition in wind band music, and she has worked a lot with youth orchestras. Marjolein is a flutist in the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and has attended Side by Side for several years as an instructor for the oldest participants. And as a conductor since 2020.
Sten Källman & Erika Risinger
Sten is a musician, composer and arranger, and teaches world music at the University of Gothenburg. He is passionate about integrating music from different cultures, with a special focus on music from Haiti. not the least through his band Simbi.
Erika is a musician and teacher as well as a music laureate with roots in Skåne and Dalarna. She has studied classical violin in Falun and Copenhagen as well as world music in Gothenburg and is recognized from bands like Sallyswag and Navarra.
Magnus Pettersson
Magnus has solid experience as a music teacher, musician and music therapist in Sweden and abroad. He works with Angered School of the Arts and has been course leader at the music teacher program as well as a teacher in music didactics for lower ages at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg.
Christel Weiner
Christel is a music teacher and music therapist. She works in Partille School of the Arts with choir and orchestra for students with special needs and also teaches music in the elementary and special-aid elementary schools. She likes using images, signs and colors as teaching-aids.
Måns Carlsson & Elvira Wall
Måns och Elvira are both singers and musicians and work at the Gothenburg School of the Arts with singing and rhythmics for the youngest. They are also both active freelance musicians. Måns and Elvira have long experience in meeting young children with song, music and rhythmics.
Anna Ström
Lina Molander Ekström
Willy Wong
