Biography
Emil Jonason (b. 1983) is one of the leading clarinetists from the new generation of young Scandinavian musicians. Being nominated by the European Concert Hall Organization for their Rising Stars recital series in 2009/10, Emil has already played at the prestigious venues such as Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Köln, Laeiszhalle Hamburg a.o. Highlights from the coming season include invitation from the esteemed Konzertbüro Schoneberg in Berlin, several concerts throughout Sweden as well as being appointed teacher at the Royal College Of Music in Stockholm.
Winning all Grand Scholarships possible from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, Emil has also received awards from Foundations such as Anders Wall, Sixten Gemzéus, Anders Sandrews and Hans Dalborg. In 2004, Emil participated in Lions Europe’s Musical Soloist Interpretation Prize in Rome, as the first Swedish competitor ever, and was awarded the Prize of the 21st century piece. Other merits in competitions include first prize in the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe competition as well as the Solofoni Prize, awarded by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.
Emil has earned a reputation of being a unique and charismatic soloist and has performed with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Musica Vitae, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin in Moscow and many others. At his debut concert in 2008, he made a highly appraised Stockholm premiere of John Corigliano's clarinet concerto in the Stockholm Concert Hall.
As an accomplished chamber musician Emil has played the Scandinavian countries, Europe, South America and Japan with different ensembles. In 2008 he toured China with the Stockholm Chamber Trio in collaboration with Concerts Sweden, and was chosen to represent Sweden in EBU New Talent the same year. He has performed at numerous festivals, recently at Gotland Chamber Music Festival where he did concerts with Roland Pöntinen, Georg Riedel and Staffan Scheja.
Emil received his education at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and completed his studies with a Soloist Diploma under the tutelage of world-renowned clarinetist Martin Fröst. In addition to this, he has studied with Hermann Stefánsson, Kjell-Inge Stevesson and Yehuda Gilad, Professor at the University of Southern California, USA.
Wild insistent rhythms and sounds of Klezmer- and Balkan music has always inspired Emil, and he has toured the world-music scene in Sweden and abroad with different groups, such as AksakOrkestar and Stockholm Klezmer Quintet
