Swedish Conductor Named Director of UB Civic Symphony

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Magnus Martensson, former conductor of the Contemporary Music Ensemble at the Cleveland Institute of Music, has been named director of the UB Civic Symphony, the 70-member orchestra comprised of University at Buffalo music majors, non -majors and musicians from the community.

David Felder, chair of the UB Department of Music, called Martensson, a native of Sweden, "simply a gifted musician with a tremendous ability to communicate that musicality to musicians and audiences in all ranges of experience."

Martensson, who also holds the position of assistant visiting professor of music, studied piano, voice, conducting and composition at Malmö Musikhogskola, from which he holds a master's degree in conducting and a post-graduate diploma in music. He als o received a master's degree in conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music and in 1995-96 conducted the institute's ensemble.

As director of the UB Symphony, his responsibilities will include the selection of repertory, orchestral rehearsal and conducting the orchestra's symphonic concerts. He said he plans to rehearse the group in a solid repertoire of orchestral music and perhaps introduce more contemporary work into that repertoire.

"He's been here only a few months," said Felder, "but his programming choices and the new, high level of performance accomplishment evidenced by the UB Civic Symphony have already proven to be a shocking delight to listeners across the university. We can hardly wait to hear what happens in upcoming seasons."

From 1989-92, Martensson conducted the Opera Semplice in his native Malmö and the Santa Cecilia Oratorio Society of Lund. During this time, he also founded and conducted the Malmö Chamber Orchestra.

An active composer as well as conductor, Martensson's many commissions have included incidental music for theater plays by Swedish playwright Per-Ane Bengtsson. His latest work, "Two Miniatures for Flute and Clarinet and Two Poems by e.e. cummings," p remiered during the 1996 Composers in the Shape of a Pear concert series, co-founded by several Cleveland-based composers, including Martensson.