Sweden Camp

(for treble/high voices)

May 30 - June 12, 2024

  • Leaders: Kongero ensemble & Mollie Stone

  • Venue: retreat at Eric Sahlstrom Institute in Tobo, Sweden

  • Price: $2100 / youth $1900

Study and travel around Sweden with members of the internationally-acclaimed "folkapella" group Kongero.

We aim to make this and our other international camps affordable for high school & college student participation by offering automatic youth discounts.

Street scene in Stockholm

Join us for VH’s first treble/high voice singing camp in Sweden.

In VH's 2024 Sweden camp, high-voice singers will delve into the beauty of Swedish folk singing under the tutelage of highly-esteemed world-touring "Folk'appella" ensemble Kongero. 

Learning directly from the gorgeous voices of Emma Björling, Anna Wikénius, Lotta Andersson, and Sofia Hultqvist Kott, we will begin our rehearsal week of the grounds of ESI (The Eric Salhström Institute), a beautiful 19th-century mansion in the village of Tobo.

Eric Salhström Institute main building

ESI functions as a Swedish national center for traditional music and dance, specializing in instruction on the nyckelharpa, fiddle, and dance. In addition to regular rehearsals, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy nyckelharpa demonstrations, a session on traditional Swedish dance, an introduction to Sweden's cattle-calling tradition (kulning), and a guest-lecture and workshop with Sami musician Krister Stoor. 

In addition to our rehearsals in Tobo, we will journey to listen to live folk music  performances at the Rimbostämman festival, venture into Stockholm to visit historic museums and engage in local musical collaborations, and fly north to Piteå, near the subarctic circle, where the sun will only set briefly. (Singers will be responsible to purchase their own round-trip tickets for the flight to Piteå.)

VH teacher Mollie Stone will also add some additional repertoire to the mix. 

This singing experience is not to be missed!

Meet our teachers

  • Kongero

    Kongero is: Anna Wikénius, Sofia Hultqvist Kott, Lotta Andersson, and Emma Björling

    Kongero is a highly esteemed, world touring Swedish Folk'appella group singing powerful, evocative, haunting music. A concert with Kongero will take the listener on a fabulous journey, an all-embracing Scandinavian folk music experience. Amazing vocal polyphony, groovy, and powerful. We released our 6th album "Live in Longueuil" in the summer 2021 and it’s been so well-received!

    We push the boundaries in trad/folk/world music as well as in a cappella and chamber music. We feel it’s important to share this passion with others. By conducting our workshops and master classes we make great music and long-lasting connections with singers wherever we go. To share is to gain something new, and by sharing our tradition, knowledge, and passion we get lots of positive energy, love, and powerful musical experiences.

    This journey has, since 2005, resulted in extensive touring all over Europe, Canada, Barbados, and Singapore. We have done official showcases at Folk Alliance International, Nordic Folk Alliance, Nordic Showcase, Bourse Rideau, and we are an official participant of Global Music Match 2022.

  • Mollie Stone

    Mollie Stone is a Chicago native internationally renowned for her workshops on black South African choral music. Mollie served as a conductor at Chicago Children’s Choir from 2005-2020 and has been director of the University of Chicago’s two largest choirs since 2011. Mollie earned her master’s degree in classical choral conducting from Westminster Choir College and her conducting doctorate from Northwestern University. In 2001, she received a grant from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to create a DVD, Vela, Vela, to help educators learn and teach black South African choral music in the oral tradition. In 2006, Mollie received another grant to study how South Africans are using choral music in the struggle against HIV, which became the topic of her highly-acclaimed doctoral thesis. Mollie has been teaching with VH since 2009.

Rehearsal venue

The Eric Sahlström Institute (ESI) is located in a beautiful 19th century mansion in the village of Tobo, former home to one of many iron foundries in the region. The surrounding neighborhood provides beautiful nature walks, old ironworks villages, running trails, and the legendary castle where 16th century Swedish King Eric XIV was poisoned.

The institute, founded in 1998, is an important gathering place for musicians and dancers and is used throughout the year for courses, meetings and rehearsal space.

We will be sleeping and cooking in the annex building next door.

Tobo is about 30miles north of Uppsala – ”Upptåget” and less than one hour by train from Stockholm Arlanda international airport. Thanks to a well-developed public transport, it is easy to get to and from the Institute.