Running for Beethoven

The “Running for Beethoven” race combines culture and public health in a unique way in the scenic area around Kulturhuset in Ytterjärna.  Ludwig van Beethoven’s famous Fate Symphony is broadcast live along the entire course and the goal is to reach the finish line before the symphony ends.  To meet people’s different physical abilities, the race, which has been arranged with support from Signatur since 2023, has three different tracks, and for the cultural audience, it is possible to experience the event from the concert hall.

Culture and health bridging borders

The organisers want to counter a perceived trend in society where people increasingly gather in groups that are isolated from each other. “Running for Beethoven” aims to bring joy to all participants.  Culture has a unique ability to bridge differences and bring people together across borders.  The project makes it possible for all members of a family, from children to the elderly, to participate together.

Through “Running for Beethoven”, people get the chance to meet in a joyful event with both culture and health in focus, where participants challenge both themselves and Ludwig van Beethoven.  On stage in Ytterjärna Kulturhus, a symphony orchestra will perform Beethoven’s famous Fate Symphony and along the running course speakers will be broadcasting the live music.  The aim is to reach the finish line before the symphony ends.

Start in Ytterjärna Kulturhus

The original challenge is 5 kilometres, but there are alternative challenges for those who wish to walk or to run fast. A culturally oriented audience can simultaneously take part in the event from the concert hall, where live imagery from the race-course will be projected.  The starting signal will sound inside the concert hall and all runners will pass the orchestra and the concert hall audience as they take off.  Participants in the project’s physical challenge will have their race enriched with a cultural experience and those who attend for the music experience will be swept along in the physical sensation of the race.  To facilitate participation and to reduce climate impact, there is free bus transport from Södertälje.

About Fairplay Chamber Music

Fairplay Chamber Music (formerly Järna Festival Academy) is a cultural forum at the highest international level located in the area around Kulturhuset in Ytterjärna.  During two summer weeks each year, musicians, artists, researchers, students, children and young people gather to collaborate on artistic content based in contemporary society.  The initiative was founded in 2017 with the aim of becoming one of the Nordic region’s leading chamber music festivals and summer academies, and since then its programme has developed and diversified.

Civic engagement and creativity

Fairplay Chamber Music is imbued with a strong commitment to society.  In addition to producing classical music at the highest international level, the festival aims to contribute positively to society in a broader perspective.  The artistic content should stimulate development and creativity where it is most needed.  In total, around 30-40 events are organised annually.  These include internal thematic material but also external productions, student concerts and a concert series in the autumn/spring.  The founders and leaders of Fairplay Chamber Music are cellist Jakob Koranyi and pianist Peter Friis Johansson.

Read more about Fairplay Chamber Music on their website: https://fairplaychambermusic.com/en/home/