Christina Ekström
Programme Supervisor
Classical Music and ChurchAbout Christina Ekström
At the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, I work as a Programme Supervisor, lecturer, and music researcher. The task of Programme Supervisor involves the management and development of three educational programmes, all in the field of church music. These are the Bachelor's Programme in Church Music, Master's Programme in Choral Conducting, and Master's Programme in Organ and Related Keyboard Instruments. The role as Programme Supervisor means having an eye on both the present and the future; to enable the activities to run smoothly for both students and lecturers, and to promote change and development so that the education is constantly relevant to the church music profession and the surrounding society. Teaching duties vary between academic years. However, supervision and examination of independent projects are recurring tasks.
My research, since completing my doctoral thesis in musicology, has focused on music I pietistic traditions. The research topic has centered on the Moravian Church (Evangelische Brüdergemeine; Evangeliska Brödraförsamlingen; Evangeliske Brødremenigheden; etc). I have addressed hymnological, musicological, music educational, and artistic issues in articles and conference presentations. For this research, I was awarded the prize of Harald Göransson by the The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2019.
An ongoing project that is in its final phase deals with womens musicking in the Moravian settlement in Christiansfeld. This is a town in South Jutland that was built by the Evangelische Brüdergemeine in 1772 on behalf of King Christian VII. It was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2015 for its tangible and intangible cultural heritage. To conclude the project, a symposium is planned for 31 October-1 November 2025 in Christiansfeld. The symposium will present the anthology in progress, Female Musicking in the Moravian Church, Insights to and Outlooks from Hidden Spaces and a newly built replica of a clavichord used by the women.
Further ongoing research is centred on the New Evangelical Revival (Nyevangelism) in the 19th century, with Per Ulrik Stenhammar's life and work in focus. Based on the Per Ulrik Stenhammar festival, held at Ersta kulturscen, Stockholm, in 2022, work is underway on an interdisciplinary anthology (programme book from the festival, see: https://www.erstadiakoni.se/globalassets/verksamheter/kyrka-och-musik/evenemang/ersta-kyrka-150-ar.pdf). Researchers in various subjects - theology, art history, artistic research, and musicology - are involved. Publication is planned for the 150th anniversary of Stenhammar's death in 1875.
Although my roles and tasks are varied, they are all united by a shared interest in the field of church music.