Martin Fröst

Whether it's the haunting solos in Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (rec. 2017), mesmeric inner-voicing in Anders Hillborg's concerto, or light-as-a-feather Piazzolla melodies, Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst's purity of sound compels and beguiles. Born in Sundsvall in 1970, Fröst's versatile approach is underlined by unrivaled technique and creative risk-taking (such as integrating choreography into performances). His wide-ranging repertoire includes Classical clarinet works (such as Mozart's concerto), 20th-century concertante pieces by the likes of Malcolm Arnold (featured on 1998’s Clarinet Concertos Dedicated to Benny Goodman), and fusion programs—as heard on Night Passages (2022), which blends Baroque with arrangements of songs by Chick Corea and Swedish folk music. As a chamber musician, Fröst is a longtime collaborator of violinist Janine Jansen, with whom he has recorded both the Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets. Based in Stockholm, Fröst is principal conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and periodically hosts experimental cross-platform arts projects—2022's XODUS (The Way Out Lies Within) included live painting on a large screen—with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2014, Fröst became the first clarinetist to receive the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, joining a lineup of high-profile recipients including Stravinsky and Simon Rattle.