Britta Byström's new work Pischop, will be premiered on November 1 & 2, 2025, by Jeroen Berwaerts and Camerata Bern.
Written for trumpet and string orchestra, the piece places the soloist at the heart of the ensemble, not only as performer, but also as conductor and the work, exploring the rhythmic imitation and dialogue between soloist and ensemble.
The work has been commissioned by four ensembles across Europe and Asia: Camerata Bern (Switzerland), Aichi Chamber Orchestra (Japan), Musica Vitae (Sweden), and Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn (Germany).
Pischop carries the subtitle Hommage à Per Nørgård and Britta Byström says about the work:
While working on Pischop, I received the sad news that Danish composer Per Nørgård (1932-2025) had passed away. His compositional technique, the infinity series, has greatly influenced my musical thinking, and traces of it were already present in the piece I was composing. I chose to “zoom in” on these ideas - particularly on a specific rhythm drawn from Nørgård’s infinity universe. This small rhythm consists of two consecutive notes, and Nørgård himself gave it the onomatopoeic name pischop. For me, it became a beautiful illustration of the essence of Per Nørgård’s thinking, where a simple little element simultaneously is a open door to infinity.
World Premiere Details
November 1 & 2, 2025
Camerata Bern
Jeroen Berwaerts, trumpet & conductor
Bern, Switzerland
