User:Kanding

Ejnar Kanding (born 1965) is composer

Composer Ejnar Kanding is internationally known for his unique colourful sound, where the electronic and acoustic are united in complex textures, physical energy and delicate simplicity. The music of Kanding is a sensual journey into unknown areas of the inner life. To him, music should not embellish, but be a realm of fantasy. A journey into the ambiguous – a hall of mirrors. Kanding originally got his degree in composition and musical theory at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen in 1993, followed by studies at IRCAM in Paris and with Professor Lev Koblyakov in Jerusalem in 1994 and 95, but has since his debut concert from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in 1996 specialized himself in composing music for computer and instruments. This has led to an extensive use of the software MaxMSP in the development of his works and as an instrument in live performances. Despite this obsession his focus is never the electronic experiment, but always the musical expression, form and phrase. The way Kanding uses the digital mixing console and MaxMSP as an instrument is pioneering the new assignment as a musician which is known as live electronics or sound direction. His virtuosity in this field has led to numerous performances of own works or others of both improvised and written music with various groups, for example, works by Saariaho, Nono and Stockhausen; and ensembles as Cikada (NO), Ars Nova (SE), Jack Quartet (NYC), Transit ensemble (NYC) and Adapter (DE). As artistic director and executive sound director in ensemble Contemporánea Kanding has traveled around the world. The ensemble specializes in a smooth and distinguished performance of works involving live electronics. In his capacity to lead Contemporánea and being chairman of the electroacoustic concert series EarUnit Kanding has commissioned and premiered many works by Danish and foreign composers.

His works has been released on several albums, such as the numbered albums titled “…unsägliche Stelle” (1997) of his debut concert with the Danish ensemble Figura, “Profundización de Azul” (2001) – an entire album of Kanding’s music inspired by his many travels with ensemble Contemporánea to five South American countries in the late 90s, “Flug der Farben” (2012) with chamber and solo works composed for Contemporánea in the course of a 10 years period and the 2013 release of “Auxiliary Blue”, Dacapo, which marks a five year long collaboration with Frank Bretschneider (DE).

Kanding’s curiosity, openness and an urge to try out new territories have led to collaboration with artists where the border between musical and visual has been challenged. This is realised in the concert exhibitions with painter Nes Lerpa, the almost three-hour-long musical theatre “Happy in Dorado City” with director Wolfgang Häntsch (Berlin), a surrealistic dance performance with choreographer Camilla Stage and the installation “Rerememberer” by Suzanne Bocanegra (NYC) for improvised real-time processing by Kanding, improvising accordionist Frode Andersen, 50 violin-playing non-violinists and extreme amplified weaver.

Also Kanding’s role as artistic leader of the ensemble Contemporánea has made it possible for audiences to experience his music at very diverse platforms such as the nightclub Nice T, Buenos Aires; an outdoor concert on the Andes Mountains, Bogotá; in David Lang’s flat (NYC), that has a scene for intimate performances, jazz club Blå, Oslo; night club Rust, Copenhagen and in the raw cement construction of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s new radio house, when only the building’s supporting parts were finished. The physical frames of the music have been prioritised, just like the performances’ content has been thought through holistically.

Kanding’s music is also appreciated in the traditional new music context and has been selected for prominent festivals such as International Computer Music Conference (2001, 2004, 2010), International Society for Contemporary Music (2002, 2008), Festival Synthése, Nordic Music Days, Up North, and Interactive Arts Performances Series at New York University etc. Besides the Danish Arts Foundation’s three-year stipend and numerous work grants, Kanding has received several commissions by a string of international ensembles such as Osiris Trio (NL), Harry Sparnaay Trio (NL), Crash ensemble (IR), Cikada ensemble (NO), ensemble Ars Nova (SE), ensemble Adapter (DE) and Transit ensemble (NYC), as well as the Danish ensembles Figura, Athelas, Alpha Trio, Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Messerkvartetten and so on.