Johannes Thorell did his soloist debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002 performing the hugely demanding saxophone concerto by Edison Denisov, a performance that was given a rousing reception by both press and audience.

Since then Thorell has received numeral prizes and grants, including a first prize in the Wolfgang Jacobi competition in Munich together with pianist Magnus Sköld as well as the Rosenborg/Gehrmans grant. He has received major grants from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and was a prizewinner at the Biel/Bienne competition for contemporary music.

Thorell frequently tours the world with different programs/ensembles and performs regularly with pianist Magnus Sköld and the Nordic Saxophone Quartet.​

 

His strong devotion for contemporary music has led to more than 50 world premieres by composers Andrea Tarrodi, Charlotte Bray, Tebogo Monnakgotla, Dror Feiler, Molly Kien, Volodymyr Runchak and many more. 

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Johannes is, together with Claus Olesen, creator of the Nordic Saxophone Festival. He has also been editor for the Nordic Saxophone Journal and has had his own chamber music series “Örebro Live”.

 

In 2011 Johannes released his debut CD the forbidden saxophone (dBCD138) together with pianist Magnus Sköld that in 2012 was followed by the CD Far North (dBCD150). Johannes is since 2012 a Henri Selmer Paris performing artist.

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