Björn Westlund

Björn Westlund was born in Stockholm in 1962. At the age of 15, he enrolled at the Malmö Music Academy as a junior student, where his teacher was Bertil Melander. From 1979 to 1983 he continued his studies with Lennart Erhenlood at the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm. As part of a scholarship of the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, he also studied with Andreas Blau, the orchestra’s principal flutist. Björn Westlund performed both with the Berlin Philharmonic and in numerous chamber music performances of the orchestra’s musicians. Since 1984 Björn Westlund has been principal flutist of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra. Ever since, he has been a regular guest of orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Komische Oper Berlin, the Stockholm Philharmonic, the Royal Opera in Stockholm and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1986 he has regularly played principal flute in the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. The Berlin Philharmonic’s Digital Concert Hall features Björn Westlund in a performance of “Salome” under Sir Simon Rattle in 2011. Since 1988 Björn Westlund has been a professor at the Hamburg Academy of Music and Theatre. He acts as juror for several competitions in Germany and Scandinavia. He has given master courses all over Europe, especially in Scandinavia, as well as in South America, Japan, China and Australia.