Danish composer In his music, Danish composer Bent Sørensen (b. 1958) creates melancholic, misty dream landscapes. The music sounds like an echo of something heard before, playing in an indescribable manner upon the emotional register of the listener. At a composers' workshop run by the Esbjerg Ensemble in 1982, the 24-year-old, self-taught composer made quite an impact. His roots during that period were in folk music, but training in composition from both Ib Nørholm and Per Nørgård in the period 1983-91 moved him in new musical directions. In 1984 Sørensen’s work 'Alman' marked a breakthrough. More importantly, however, the Arditti Quartet proved his music could be performed in a convincing manner. The chamber music ensemble has been Sørensen's preferred medium. In his later work he has opened up an almost romantic universe, and has begun to use more expansive musical forms, such as choral and orchestral works and opera. During the eighties, Sørensen's stylistic openness and his attention to detail allowed him to find his own unique expression. The sometimes deathly quiet music is dominated by quarter-tones, glissandos, tremolos and staccatos, often employing unusual complements and extreme registers. The instruments, too, are subordinated to the musical expression. Recognition came in 1996 when Sørensen, as the third Dane to do so, received the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize for his violin concerto 'Sterbende Gärten' ('Dying Gardens', 1992-93). A common theme with Sørensen has been the impermanence and disintegration of nature and the world. These themes find expression in such titles as 'Funeral Procession' and 'The Deserted Churchyards' – the latter inspired by cemeteries in West Jutland which will soon be swallowed up by the sea. With Sørensen's music you often feel that its many details demand a kind of distance. He himself compares his music with the pointillist works of the painter George Seurat, the meaning of which becomes clear only when seen from a distance. By Mikkel Kofoed Published 2005 This article is provided in cooperation with DR - www.dr.dk/musik/

Bent Sørensen was born 18 July 1958. Read more at 4Composers.dk