Composer
Musician
Composer
Musician
One of Sweden’s most distinguished opera composers
One of Sweden’s most distinguished opera composers
CV
Paula af Malmborg Ward is a Swedish composer and musician with a penchant for musical drama. Born in Stockholm in 1962. Composes music in a former coal tower in the old harbour area Nya Varvet, Gothenburg where she lives since 1992. Timing and text are key words in both opera creating, works for orchestra and choir, solo and ensemble and music for TV and radio.
With operas commissioned by The Royal Opera, Stockholm, Gothenburg Opera and Vadstena Academy, orchestral pieces commissioned/performed by Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Swedish radio orchestra and collaborations with conductors like Gustavo Dudamel, Neeme Järvi and Kent Nagano, Paula´s musical field is of great variation in different genres.
Her chamber music is commissioned/performed by Trio Poseidon, Norrbotten Big Band, Duo Ego, Gilda Lyons, The Miller-Porfiris Duo, Bohuslän Big Band, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, Duo Gelland, Erik Westbergs vocal ensemble and Hans Davidsson among others.
She loves to sing. And play. And conduct. And talk.
Thinks: being a musician must be the finest of professions.
Then thinks: but they must have something to play too.
Latest News
Thank you Cultural Council (Kulturrådet), Helge Ax:son Jonsson foundation and Writers Guild of Sweden (Dramatikerförbunet) for important financial supports on Tistou - a musical drama [...]
Short version for smaller ensemble premiered - I arranged my new ceremony music for the Medal Awarding Ceremony for The Royal Orders of Knighthood for [...]
WELL this was FUN! Thank you maestro Anders Berglund, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Jakob Samuel, Nina Söderquist, Tommy Johansson for a fabulous night! In your company [...]
SYSTEMET, my latest chamber opera had a lovely time in Stockholm. Thank you wonderful Teresia Pettersson at Ö2 Scenkonst for excellent hosting. And thank you [...]
UPCOMING EVENTS
24/07/2025
PAO Trio in beautiful Stockholm archipelago! We are happy to announce that "Pållan´s musical menu" with Arvid Jullander bass/voc, Ossian Ward dr/guit/voc and myself pi/voc [...]
24/08/2025
Music in the churchyard (Musik på kyrkbacken) Sunday, August 24, 5:00 PM PAO Trio Composer and musician Paula af Malmborg Ward digs further into her [...]
20/09/2025
WOW! We are celebrating 30 years on stage! Well, I have been in the band for 23 years, but nevertheless:) This is going to be [...]
09/10/2025
"Breathtaking and insanely wonderful!" (The stage art guide) My latest chamber opera SYSTEMET on tour to Borås! SYSTEMET (Man must sing´s commission) had it's world [...]
MEDIA
Video
Pållans band 28/9 2024
A little selfmade video-try-out from our really nice gig at Sockerbruket Arena, Gothenburg.
Thank you everyone!
On stage:
Per Strandberg guit/voc
Martin Bjurek Svanström sax
Ludvig Ward bass
Johan Björklund drums
Paula af Malmborg Ward piano/voc/lyrics/musicSom solen och månen
Children´s choir from Adolf Fredriks music school, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, Fredrik Winberg, piano. Cond: Lina Sandborgh. First perfomance Folkoperan Stockholm May 7, 2022. Happy to be a part of the wonderful and important project ”Singing children” which encourages schools, teachers, composers, students to sing and work without new, unheard music as a natural part of everyone’s musical life.
Growing, coming, filling up
Piece for Anders Paulsson, soprano saxophone solo. My contribution to Anders´ project ”Solitary poems”.
Kärlekskriget
Ivonas aria (Shanowny pan!).
Amelia Jakobsson sopran
Musik Paula af Malmborg Ward
Libretto Mathias Clason
Urpremiär 2017 med Vattnäs konsertladas orkester under ledning av Fredrik Burstedt.
Sound Clips
Spår vägar (Paths traces), extract
Vocal symphony, extract 1 ”Chaos continuum”
Gothenburg symphony vocal ensemble, Gothenburg symphony orchestra
Cond. Ingar Bergby
Gothenburg concert hall Dec 2023Mytomania, extract
Act 1, Nelly’s aria ”Älskade man” (beloved man)
Kerstin Avemo, Gothenburg opera choir and orchestra
Cond. Andreas Hansson
Gothenburg opera Oct 2023In time – a fanfare for organ
Ligita Sneibe, organ
Engelbrekt church 2024Spår vägar (Paths traces), extract
Vocal symphony, extract 2 ”Welcome/Network of cracks”
Gothenburg symphony vocal ensemble, Gothenburg symphony orchestra
Cond. Ingar Bergby
Gothenburg concert hall Dec 2023Mytomania, extract
Act 2, ”The disclosure”
Åker Zetterström, Kerstin Avemo, Gothenburg opera choir and orchestra
Cond. Andreas Hansson
Gothenburg opera Oct 2023
LATEST WORKS
FEMALE CHOIR
(2025)
