Danish composer Simon Steen-Andersen (b. 1976) belongs to the youngest generation of Danish composers, but he has already made his mark both on the Danish scene and abroad. Despite his young age, he has lived and studied in such diverse places as Aarhus, Paris, Freiburg, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen and Rome. His travels may be interpreted as a continuing quest for both exterior and interior challenges for his musical concepts. Simon Steen-Andersen states that he is “trying to approach the human being behind the instrument, because then music can suddenly be about everything that is most important: communication, being, fragility and intimacy". The young composer first drew attention in 2000, when he won a national composer competition with his String Quartet. The String Quartet presents a gestic and extrovert universe, and since then his music has moved in the direction of extremely hushed nuances, which at the same time maintain the colourfully complex and energetic virtuoso expression. In his latest works, barely audible sounds are subjected to extreme amplification: as if the instruments are placed under a microscope. This opens up a rich micro-world of new sounds, in which normally suppressed or hidden subordinated sounds are integrated into an intense imagery of sounds. Often the amplified micro-sounds are contrasted with unamplified music played as loudly as possible on dampened or hampered instruments. An important work in Steen-Andersen's oeuvre is the 2001 ensemble piece, "Praesens". The title reflects a common goal in the music: to invite the listener to take part, to be present in the music, and present in the detail. In later works, this theme has been extended to also encompass human presence and social presence. The human presence: "the human being behind the instrument" is exposed in extremely fragile and intimate situations through powerful amplification (e.g. "Tal Vez Quizás"), and social presence is the social aspect of the performance situation, the mutual dependence, communication, and collaboration about individual notes (e.g. in "rerendered"). Simon Steen-Andersen's oeuvre primarily encompasses works for small constellations, but also includes works for larger ensembles, orchestras, electronics and various multi-media setups. The range is clearly evident when you compare his series of solo pieces entitled "Next To Beside Besides", which are 3.5 minutes long, to his concerto for extremely amplified guitar and large orchestra, "Amongst", which has a duration of more than 35 minutes. By Eline Sigfusson Paludan  November 2006

Simon Steen-Andersen was born in 1976. Composer's official website: www.simonsteenandersen.dk You can find details about Simon Steen-Andersen's works in the database of musical works maintained by SNYK.