Image: Artipelag, Stockholm
Artipelag will host Swedish pianist Roland Pöntinen for a summer concert on 8 August, with the performance set in the venue’s foyer and Baggensfjärden and the sea as a backdrop. The concert runs from 7.30 pm to 8.45 pm, with admission from 7.15 pm, and is billed as a recital of drama, virtuosity and poetic presence.
The announcement places Pöntinen among the most internationally sought-after pianists from Sweden and frames the evening as a return to Artipelag. The programme lists music by Chopin, Fauré, Liszt and Prokofiev, while the detailed concert page also names Debussy among the composers represented. Among the works highlighted are Chopin’s 'Regndroppspreludiet' from '24 preludier' and Liszt’s 'Liebestraum'.
Artipelag’s own concert description positions the evening within its 'Scensommar 2026' programme, where the venue is presenting a summer season of performances across music, dance and family events. The pianist’s recital is one of several August dates announced alongside a dance guest performance by Virpi Pahkinen’s company, a reading by Hannes Meidal of Gunnar Ekelöf, and a later event with Meidal reciting Rilke.
Pöntinen’s profile on the Artipelag site underlines the breadth of his career. The page says he made his debut at age 17 with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and has since appeared with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. It also lists conductors and collaborators from a wide musical field, and notes that he has given solo recitals in New York, London, Bogotá, Istanbul and Verbier.
The site further states that Pöntinen has made more than 100 recordings and also works as a composer and arranger. It refers to his piece 'Blue Winter', premiered in Philadelphia and later in New York at Carnegie Hall, and to 'L’heure bleue' for trombone and piano, dedicated to Christian Lindberg. His work as an initiator of festivals is also noted, including 'Pianorama' at Konserthuset, described as a biennial focused on the piano, and his role as artistic director of Båstad Chamber Music Festival from 2018 to 2020.
The concert page gives practical details for visitors. Tickets are priced at 495 SEK, with a senior price of 445 SEK, and Art.Pass members receive a 100 SEK discount. Artipelag also says dinner can be combined with the evening programme at Bådan Café, where a main course is offered before selected concerts, and that the bar remains open until 9 pm during evening performances. The event takes place at Artipelag, Artipelagstigen 1, in Gustavsberg, Sweden.
