Swedish Society and The Gavle Symphony Orchestra present the first full orchestral CD of composer Benjamin Staern’s music. This release features two works for large orchestra and his Clarinet concerto all of which are inspired by social issues and environmental forces as well as the challenges of human relations and conflict painting a very actual picture of the world we live in. Staern’s music reflects global issues, drawing from Kosovo and Congo’s conflict images, fuelling the urgent intensity of The Threat of War. His clarinet concerto, Worried Souls, channels the fraught emotions of an industrial, dystopian society, inspired by classic works like Modern Times and 1984. Finally, Staern’s Polar Vortex symphony sonically explores global weather extremes through vibrant inner imagery, from frozen cities to intense polar vortices.