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Newly appointed Royal Court Organist of Stockholm, Johannes Skoog finds inspiration in every aspect of performance: the instruments, venues, and collaborators. His most impactful memories focus on how sound and space work together, resulting in a harmonious whole. His goal is to one day be completely free at the keyboard—to listen, to sense, and to let the music take unexpected paths.
“The painter Paul Klee once said that one must paint what cannot be painted; I believe the same is true in music, and that is where I want to go,” says Skoog. With his extensive training and recent wins at the 2024 Canadian International Organ Competition, Skoog proves to be on the right track.
Still, the organist experiences challenges. “The hardest part [of performance]is conserving energy and focus until the moment it truly counts,” Skoog says. “As organists we cannot bring our instrument with us, and often have limited time to develop a real relationship with it.” As such, it can be more difficult to find immediate calmness on stage. But when the focus does arrive, Skoog asserts that the feeling is incomparable.
When he is not playing, the Swedish organist enjoys cooking and sharing wine with friends and family. He claims if he had not become a musician, he would have been a chef. “I often find parallels between taste and sound: stock as the bass, bitterness as the very darkest register, and lemon as the bright descant,” he says.
Skoog eagerly anticipates meeting new people, new instruments, and performing more and more this year. A sense of responsibility, combined with curiosity, continues to push him forward.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
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