Screening: Silent films with newly composed music

Four master’s students in Film Music Composing at Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH) and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (KMH) have taken on the challenge of composing music for restored Swedish silent films.

Unlike films with dialogue, sound effects and other elements of a soundtrack, silent films rely more heavily on music to convey the story and create atmosphere.

The students have also had to develop their own interpretations of the films, without being able to discuss the original directors’ artistic intentions with them.

The aim is not necessarily to recreate how the films sounded when they were first shown, or to follow the traditional image of silent film music played on a piano. Instead, the restored films meet contemporary musical styles and new ways of telling stories through sound. This creates new connections between the films’ historic visual language and the composers’ own artistic perspectives.

Judaspengar (Judas Money)

Music: Arvid Rask
Tuesday 10 November 2026, 18:00

Victor Sjöström’s moving film is given a new musical score inspired by Swedish folk music. Arvid Rask initially explored a large orchestral sound, but later chose a smaller ensemble to better reflect the tragedy of the story and its social context.

Fången på Karlstens fästning (The Prisoner of Karlsten Fortress)

Music: Albin Eidhagen
Tuesday 24 November 2026, 18:00

For Georg af Klercker’s film, Albin Eidhagen has composed music in collaboration with the instrumental band Pershagen. With the band’s musicians in mind, the music developed through arrangements and improvisation, guided by the composer’s own interpretation of the story.

Terje Vigen

Music: Amanda Karström
Tuesday 1 December 2026, 18:00

In Victor Sjöström’s film, nature, the sea and the storm are at the heart of Amanda Karström’s musical interpretation. Ambient soundscapes, analogue synthesisers and field recordings come together in a composition that explores the relationship between image and sound.

Vallfarten till Kevlaar (The Pilgrimage to Kevlaar)

Music: Julia Ringdahl
Tuesday 26 January 2027, 18:00

Ivan Hedqvist’s film has inspired Julia Ringdahl to explore themes of loneliness, longing and belonging. Choir music and recordings of the church bells in Kevlaar are among the elements that shape the film’s new musical soundscape.

About the Master’s Programme in Film Music Composing

The Master’s Programme in Film Music Composing is offered jointly by Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH) and the Royal College of Music (KMH). The programme combines composition and musical storytelling with the artistic and technical processes involved in filmmaking.

Teaching takes place at both institutions and includes collaborations with film students at SKH. By working on film productions, students gain practical experience of composing music for film, exploring how music, images and storytelling work together.

Applications for the programme starting in autumn 2027 open on 1 December 2026 and close on 15 January 2027.

Read more about the Master’s Programme in Film Music Composing