Biography
Pianist Peter Friis Johansson directs his energies chiefly toward chamber music and contemporary repertoire while engaging in a variety of unconventional concert initiatives as a collaborative performer. Born in Sweden on October 11, 1983, he also possesses Danish citizenship and began piano studies at the age of nine. Raised in suburban Stockholm, he received instruction from Inger Flyckt at a tuition-free public music school and made his first public recital appearance at age 17. He subsequently attended the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, completing a bachelor’s degree under principal teacher Mats Widlund before pursuing a master’s degree with Anders Kilström and Staffan Scheja. He maintained his work with Kilström and, outside formal academic settings, advanced his artistry under the guidance of Russian pianist Konstantin Bogino, whom he describes by noting that “outside of the academical world, he further develops his musicality with [Russian pianist] Konstantin Bogino as his mentor.” His early distinctions include first place in the Young Soloists competition together with its Solophony Prize in 2007 and second prize at the Nordic Piano Competition the next year. Initial momentum came through Scandinavian tours alongside cellist Jakob Koranyi and performances at venues such as the Vienna Musikverein and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw with clarinetist Emil Jonason; the duo’s CD was later selected as album of the year by MusicWeb International. A finger injury in 2012 threatened to interrupt his progress, yet he continued performing with nine fingers until recovery. As soloist he has appeared with the Gävle and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestras. Deeply engaged with new music, Johansson has introduced concertos by Sven-David Sandström and Andrea Tarrodi with the Gothenburg Symphony and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, respectively, and in 2020 he finished and premiered a piano concerto by Laura Netzel with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. These three works were recorded with the Gothenburg Symphony for the BIS label. During the 2020s he launched a performance cycle of Schubert piano sonatas with the intention of documenting them on disc. Recognized for his chamber work, he collaborates with cellists Koranyi and Andreas Brantelid and maintains the duo Emil&Peter with Jonason; the pair has presented a “Worst of Emil&Peter” program on tour, while Johansson offers a science-fiction program titled “The Final Frontier” as soloist. His BIS discography encompasses numerous chamber releases, among them a 2024 collection devoted to composer Marcelle de Manziarly.
Albums
