Based in Uppsala, Allmänna Sången represents a rare combination of time-honoured tradition and innovative musicianship. Founded as a male-voice choir, it has been part of academic life in Uppsala since 1830. The conversion into a mixed choir took place in 1963, and although the choir continues to honour the rich Swedish choral tradition it is also dedicated to highlighting music by contemporary composers. Awards in international competitions, including the European Grand Prix in Varna in 2005, and high-profile appearances such as its participation at the 2005 Nobel Prize Banquet has led to international tours and invitations: in 2011 Allmänna Sången appeared on the sound track of Zhang Yimou’s film The Flowers of War and subsequently made a tour to China.
Always eager to meet new challenges, the choir wishes to inspire its audiences to discover new music and have new musical experiences. This has led to pioneering collaborations, for instance with the jazz pianist Anders Widmark, on a recording (BIS-1714) that received the Swedish Grammis award in 2009. Patron of Allmänna Sången is H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria.
