Malgorzata Blaszczyk

Meet the Musicians

I grew up in Poland with my dad, mom, and older brother. I spent my first few years at the music conservatory there and then continued my studies in Norway and Austria, eventually ending up here in Sweden. The first time I played with the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra was last winter, and it was a wonderful experience with lots of snow—and I saw the Northern Lights for the first time in my life! I then auditioned here for the position of section leader in the viola section, and now I’m one of the orchestra’s members.

Since I started working as a substitute at the Norrlands Opera during the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing was as it usually is. But we rehearsed anyway and performed various concerts for smaller audiences (and it felt like the situation was going to improve). I remember one concert where we performed W.A. Mozart’s last symphony—the one known as the Jupiter Symphony. I think it was the first day after they were allowed to admit more than 50 people into the concert hall. It felt very uplifting to see so many people in the hall, and I realized just how important the audience is to me when I’m playing. This memory is especially vivid because it was the last concert before we had to cancel the rest of the season.

I need music. It helps me in life in some way. It’s not uncommon for me to cry when I listen to music because I feel sadness or joy, and sometimes I dance or improvise. I think music is something that allows me to feel more.

I love Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. I’ve played it a few times, and it always moves me. There’s something special about his music that I really like. Perhaps it’s the blend of a Slavic soul filled with melancholy, suffering, and fear, or the frustration of living under the Stalinist regime, as Shostakovich did. His melodic phrases offer no respite; you can feel the fear in the music the entire time.

The best thing about my job as a musician is that you get to travel a lot, I’d say. Even if it’s not an actual trip to another place or country, you can travel through different times, emotions, and places when you play music. It can take you wherever you want, and that’s so beautiful. You don’t have to control it yourself—the music just flows and creates new worlds for you.