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The Swedish choral conductor, Lars "Erik" Westberg, studied choral conducting with Eric Ericson at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (1976-1987). In 1988 , he recived Sweden–America Foundation's scholarship for international studies; and in 1992, Royal College of Music, Stockholm's conductor scholarship.
Erik Westberg has been the director of numerous choirs, including the YMCA choir in Stockholm (1982-1987) and the Oslo Philharmonic Choir (1987-1989), and he has also been guest conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir. Internationally, he has been engaged as guest conductor for Pro Coro Canada, Coro Nacional de España, Coro Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in Brazil, and Jauna Muzika in Lithuania. He has also been Artist-in-Residence at Wollongong University in Australia in 1997. Since 2018 he is Artistic Director of the Swedish Youth Choir (Sveriges Ungdomskör). He is also director of The University Chamber Choir in Piteå (from 1990), Erik Westbergs Vokalensemble (from 1993), Barents International Chamber Choir, the Barents International Vocal Ensemble (2003-2007), Arctic Male Voices (from 2018).
Erik Westberg was the founder of the project "Choral Singing for Peace and Justice": during the millennium celebrations, 8,000 choristers in 56 countries were involved in this project, singing the twelve-year old Irishman Shaun McLaughlin's poem Across the Bridge of Hope, set to music by Jan Sandström. Also, the Erik Westbergs Vokalensemble first held a concert with this centerpiece at Tonga, the first country in the world to enter the new millennium. Then, the morning after, they flew to Samoa - the last country to enter the new millennium and therefore "they arrived the day before they left" - and once again the Vocal Ensemble held the concert, as a symbol for the encircling of time. The Tonga concert was broadcast by the BBC and the transmission was seen by the world's largest television audience in history. The project was supported, by the past present, Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan, President of Ireland Mary McAleese, Queen Silvia of Sweden, and King Tāufaʻahau Tupou IV of Tonga.
Erik Westberg initiated the Barents International Centre for Choral Music 2003 which was inaugurated by the minister of culture Marita Ulvskog and the Barents International Chamber Choir, a professional choir with singers from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
Together with Benny Andersson, Orsa spelmän and Gunnar Idenstam, Westberg conducted The University Chamber Choir in Piteå when they premiered Benny Andersson's, for the occasion commissioned work, En skrift i snön (Scriptures in the snow) (lyrics by Kristina Lugn) during the inauguration ceremony of Organ Acusticum in Studio Acusticum 2012.
With The University Chamber Choir in Piteå and the Erik Westbergs Vokalensemble, he has performed over 50 tours to Europa, North- and South America and Asia. With the Erik Westbergs Vokalensemble he has premiered over 40 works by, among others: B Tommy Andersson, Gunnar Eriksson, Mats Larsson Gothe, Paula af Malmborg Ward, Jan Sandström, Sven-David Sandström and Arvo Pärt.
His audio catalogue includes more than twenty recordings on the record labels Studio Acusticum Records, Opus3, Naxos, and Caprice, several of which have received excellent reviews.
Erik Westberg received the Johannes Norrby-Medallion in 1993 and the Culture Prize of the Year from the newspaper Norrländska Socialdemokraten in 1997. In 1999 he was elected Choral Conductor of the Year by KÖRSAM (The Federation of Swedish Choir Associations) and received the Culture Prize of the Year from the Municipality of Piteå in 2002. In 2005, he recived the Academy of Norrbotten's SKUM-award and the Rosenborg-Gehrman’s choral conductor award. In 2006 he was presented with His Majesty the King’s Medal of the Eighth Size with the ribbon of the Order of the Seraphim “for significant achievements in Swedish Musical Life”. In 2008 he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. In 2009 he recived The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education's Excellence in Teaching-award. In 2016 he was awarded the Grant of Honour and Merit of Norrbotten County. in 2017, he received Governor Kari Marklund's scholarship.
Since 1990, Erik Westberg has taught music performance at Luleå University of Technology/School of Music in Piteå as professor in. In 2003 he was appointed there Professor of Choral Conducting and Choral Singing. In 1990, 1he was awarded Luleå University of Technology's "teacher of the year" for "his excellent contributions to the undergraduate education". In Autumn 2009 he was a visiting professor at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, USA. |
