Magnus Båge is a well-respected and prominent flutist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, pianist, entrepreneur, innovator, pedagogue, and project manager – with a great amount of experience in all mentioned fields.
Magnus Båge has been a professional flutist since 1990. In recent years, he has worked as a freelance musician and devoted time to his solo-career, chamber music, jazz studies, and his own compositions. In addition, he has participated in numerous different contexts such as in orchestral music, reed-music, as a soloist, and most recently, he has played crossover jazz on a number of scenes in Sweden.
Magnus received his soloist diploma at the Stockholm Royal College of Music (KMH) in 1994 after performing Mozart’s Flute Concerto in G-major together with The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
After receiving his diploma, he became a highly sought-after soloist and has worked as an esteemed Concertmaster in ensembles such as in Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sveriges Radio’s Symphony Orchestra, Norrköping’s Symphony Orchestra and Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.
Numerous Swedish composers have written pieces directly for Magnus. In September 2015, Rolf Martinsson’s flute concerto Shimmering Blue was premiered in collaboration with Umeå Sinfonietta, and during the spring of 2009, a flute concerto composed by Jan Sandström was premiered, commissioned by Dala Sinfonietta, Umeå Sinfonietta, and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in Örebro. In February 2011, Magnus premiered the Concerto for flute, strings, and harp composed by Anna-Lena Laurin in collaboration with Camerata Nordica with Musik I Syd. The performance was recorded and is scheduled to be released in 2019.
Magnus has his own invention which is a special mouth-piece that he calls The Expression Slide. It enables him to create sound effects on his flute that otherwise would be impossible to produce. The mouth-piece has been used in all of the compositions that have been written for him.
His first solo album (Flute Music, SFZ 1005) was released during the fall of 2003 and received extraordinary reviews both in Sweden and abroad. The renown flutist Sir James Galway wrote “This is a real knockout recording… not another flute record but a milestone in flute playing” after listening to the album. The recording with Malmö Symphony Orchestra “Shimmering Blue” (Open Mind, DAPHNE 1029) (2007) has also received astonishing reviews.
Since 2006, Magnus has taken lessons in composition and has regularly written original pieces and is now on his way to further establish himself as a composer and arranger. His newly written opera for children – Den förskräckliga historien om Lilla Hon will be performed across Sweden during 2018 and 2019. His composition Missa Brevis has received standing ovations since its premiere in March 2017 and is now performed by a number of church choirs in Stockholm.
SOLO PERFORMANCES
Camerata Nordica 2011-2012
Premiere of Anna-Lena Laurin’s flute concerto, with a recorded version.
Uppsala Chamber Soloists 2009
Jan Sandström’s flute concerto.
Dala Sinfonietta 2009
Premiere of Jan Sandströms flute concerto.
Örebro Chamber Orchestra 2009
Jan Sandström’s flute concerto.
Brussel Chamber Orchestra 2008 Summer Festival in Pietra Santa with Michael Guttman, conductor/violin in front
Mozart D-major concerto
Malmö Symphony Orchestra 2007
Shimmering Blue by Rolf Martinsson. In connection to the concert, a Cd-version of Open Mind with the flute concerto Shimmering Blue was recorded.
Värmland’s Sinfonietta and
Norrland Operan Symphony Orchestra 2006
Solo performance of Shimmering Blue – R.Martinsson.
Russian tour with Russian Orchestras in S:t Petersburg and Petrosavodskj 2003
Works by G. De Frumeri and S.E. Bäck
SELECTION OF COMPOSITIONS
Missa Brevis – for choir and septet.
Little She – opera for quartet and three singers.
The sun is shining down on you – ten children’s songs – published on Wessman’s Publishing and are arranged for symphony orchestras, soloists, and children’s choirs.
Nocturne – arranged for two pianos, dedicated to Roland Pöntinen and Love Derwinger.
Satori – jazz compositions for jazz quartet.
Flutebeauty – twelve melodies for flute and piano.
ORCHESTRAL EXPERIENCE
Bergens Filharmonic Orchestra
Solo Flute – permanent employment
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Tutti
Solo Flute, 2 Flute/Piccolo| 1997 – 2004 |
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Alternating Solo Flute
Other orchestral experiences
Länsmusiken in Östersund, Stockholm’s Blåsarsymfoniker (Wind Ensemble), Folkoperan in Stockholm, Norrköping’s Symphony Orchestra, Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm | 1985 – 2010 |
MUSICALS
Cats, GG, Garbo, Beauty and The Beast, Sound of Music and Carmen, Peter Pan.
RECORDINGS
FLUTE MUSIC (SFZ 1005), 2003
CHIMERA – IN YOUR DREAMS, 2004
OPEN MIND, Rolf Martinsson’s flute concerto (Daphne 1029), 2007
SATORI – with Lars Jansson, https://naxosdirect.se/items/satori-297083
SOLEN STRÅLAR NER PÅ DIG – children’s songs with TrioX and Matilda Bådagård.
TEACHING
Flute Instructor, Stockholm University College of Music Education
Instructing students who are training to become flute instructors.
Workshops 1995 – 2018
Regular workshops in composition, flute playing, and entrepreneurship.
Masterclasses in Sweden and Russia Masterclass and Education, Södra Latin 2011 –2012
Collaboration with Södra Latin’s students, Stockholm
Instrumental Education, Kulturskolan 1990 – 2016
CHAMBER MUSIC
Tour 1995
Båge Quartet
Collaboration with actors 1992–2010
Norwegian Tour 1989
Concerts with the singer Lena Willemark. Program with newly written music.
Tours 1990 – 2000
Collaboration with the soprano Anna Eklund Tarantino.
Tours 1997 – 2000
Toured together with musicians from Bergen’s Philharmonic Orchestra and performed several concerts and solo performances.
Nordic Tour 2000
Concerts with the mezzosoprano Susanna Levonen and pianist Bernt Wilhelmsson with newly written Nordic music.
Baroque Program 1999 – 2001
Concert tour with Nordic Musicians in Norway and Sweden, Tours 2001 – 2002.
Swedish Tour 2004
An intensive program including twenty-one concerts. The program was performed together with Samuel Fröler and Bengt-Åke Lundin.
Flute and Guitar 2011–2013
Collaboration with the guitarist David Härenstam – tours and concerts.
