Ejnar Kanding

Position

Part-time Teacher

Studies

Composition

Area

Electro Acoustics

Theory

Department

Education

E-mail

ejnar.kanding@dkdm.dk

Ejnar Kanding (b. 1965) graduated with a diploma in composition and music theory from RDAM in Copenhagen in 1993, which was followed by studies at IRCAM in Paris and under Professor Lev Koblyakov in Jerusalem in 1994 and 1995.

Since his debut concert at RDAM in 1996, he has specialised in composing music for computer and instruments (live electronics). This has led to the extensive use of the MaxMSP software in the development of his works, and as an instrument in concert performances. However, the focus is always on the musical form and phrase, never on the electronic experiment.

Teaching

Since 1991, Ejnar has taught theory, composition and electroacoustics at RDAM.

He also teaches interactive sound, 3D, music technology and composition at the Danish National Academy of Music, and teaches several students from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in connection with their post-graduate (soloist) programme.

In the period 2005-2008 he taught at the Royal Academy of Music in electro-acoustics, history of music and electronic composition.

Artistic practice

Composer Ejnar Kanding is known for exploring the possibilities within a wide range of musical expressions, from the bodily expanding to the emotionally static or melancholic. His uniquely colorful timbre unites the electronic and acoustic sound in complex textures, bodily energy, and delicate simplicity. Kanding’s music is a sensuous voyage into the unknown areas of inner life. Like a hall of mirrors, his music is a journey into the ambiguous. The musical expression, form, and phrase are in focus, often with electronic sound as a counterpoint.

Ejnar’s use of the digital mixing desk and the MaxMSP as an instrument is ground-breaking in the new musician role, best known in the area of live electronica or sound production. His virtuosity in this field has led to numerous performances of both improvised and recorded music of his own and others’ works with many different ensembles, e.g. works by Saariaho, Nono and Stockhausen, and ensembles such as Cikada (NO), Ars Nova (SE), Jack Quartet (NYC), Transit Ensemble (NYC), Adapter (DE) and Ensemble Mosaik (DE). As artistic director and performing sound director in the Contemporánea ensemble, Ejnar has travelled around the world. The ensemble specialises in the smooth and flexible performance of works involving live electronics.

Ejnar’s curiosity and urge to explore new territories has led to collaborations with artists who have challenged the boundaries of music and the visual. Examples are the almost three-hour long musical drama “Happy in Dorado City” with director Wolfgang Häntsch (Berlin) and the installation “ReRememberer” by Suzanne Bocanegra (NYC) for improvised real-time processing, improvising accordionist, 50 violin-playing non-violinists and a highly amplified wooden loom.

On April 14, 2023, the American Contemporary Music Ensemble premiered the work Slender Trees at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the initiative of AFSMK (American friends of SMK) in collaboration with EarUnit - concert series (DK).

Awards and scholarships

Ejnar has received the three-year scholarship of the Danish Arts Foundation and many working scholarships.

List of works

See the whole list here.

2-8 instruments

Kyrie Eleison, Píù Profunda, Ite, missa est (2020)
Nordic Broken (2020)
Une claire eau (2019)
Danish Golden Age Pieces (2019)
Sonata da Chiesa (2019)
Suite Résonance Duo (2019)
Arild duo (2019)
Partita Mallorca (2018)
Transparent Mosaic (2018)
Tango de Fuego (2017)
Anagram 1 (2017)
Sensitive Shades (2016)
Sunstone (2016)
Hammershøi Pieces 1-6 (2015)
Zaffre 1 a-c (2015)
Sette Venti (2015)
Texture 4 (2015)
Mosaico 4 (2015)
Mosaico 5 (2015)
Permanent Kraplak (2014)
Texture 1 (2013)
Mosaico 1 (2013)
Obscure Transparence (2013)
Nine Waves (2013)
Sonus Nubes - Passage 5 (2012)
Couleurs Nomades (2011)
Arild trio (2010)
Passage 1 (2010)
Sich hingab – String Quartet No. 3 (2010)
343 m/s - speed of sound (2010)
audioX (2010)
Stillstehen I-V (2009, 11, 17)
Spazio Vitale (2009)
Litofonia (2008, 13)
Auxiliary Blue (2008)
Three Colours – String Quartet No. 2 (2007)
multidirectional flow of information (2007)
membram413 (2007)
ratio 3:5 (2007)
Sur Real Life (2005)
lab.road (2004)
Kontur des Fühlens – String Quartet No. 1 (2004)
Gaukler (2001)
pp00a (2000)
bul00a (2000)
espontáneo II (1999)
espontáneo I (1999)
Entbergen III (1999)
Entbergen II (1998-99)
Entbergen I (1997)
“…das Offene” (1996)
Zwischen den Hämmern (1996)
“Subrisio Saltat” (1995-96)
“Weltinnenraum” (1995)
“...mit steigernder Stille” (1995)
“...in die Schöpfung eingehaucht” (1994)
“…unsägliche Stelle” (1993, 95)
Vier Georgelieder (1993)
Fustanella (1993)
Adå’nai rå’I (1992-93, 96)
Eruptio et Cogitatio (1987-88, 90)
Triptykon – Triptych (1985)
Four Meditations (1985-86, 89)
Intrada (1985, 87-88)

9+ instruments

Emotion Waves (2019)
Flug der Farben (1994-95)
Logos – The Word (1990)
Operanic (1988-89)

Educational music

Miniature 1 (2018)
Miniature 2 (2018)
Ardent Flame I & II (2018)

Symphony orchestra

Simplichitas (2018)
Vergeuder der Schmerzen (1995)
The Rings (1993-94)

Solo

Miniature 1 & 2; Forest Lake, Night Fire (2018)
Ardent Flame 1 & 2 (2018)
Escuchar (2017)
Schichtstruktur (2016)
Suite Résonance (2015)
Canzone 1-3 (2015)
Still Waters (2014)
Partita Melancólica (2013)
Tableau 1-9 (2013)
Skyggen (2013)
Fluctuant (2013)
Papilio Machaon (2012, 14, 16)
Micromorph (2012)
Passage 4 (2011)
Dark violet – Deep turquoise - Passage 3 (2010-11)
Passage 2 (2010)
Epicenter II (2009)
tonlos Los tonlos (2007)
Arild (2003)
Viste Sueños (2003)
Ciudad de las sombras (2000)
Berge des Urleids (1999)
Des roten Schalls des Sonnenballs (1992-93)
Winter Darkness (1992)
Inflixions (1991-92)
Krystal I-III (1985, 89-90)

Electronic music and installations

Geognosi (2014)
Longing Madly (2011)
Lullabies (2009)
improvisation berge (2006)
las sombras (2000)

Research and development

Artistic development (KUV)

At komponere for cello og realtime processing (Composing for the cello and real-time processing) – Ejnar Kanding

Pedagogical development (PUV)

Harmonisk kursus i Moodle (Harmony course in Moodle) – Martin Lohse, Anders Brødsgaard and Ejnar Kanding

International activities

Ejnar’s music is highly valued in a traditional contemporary music context, and has been selected for prominent festivals such as the International Computer Music Conference (2001, 2004, 2010), the International Society for Contemporary Music (2002, 2008), Festival Synthése, Nordiske Musikdage, Up North, and the Interactive Arts Performances Series at New York University, amongst others. He has also received numerous commissions from a wide range 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), Zoë Martlew (GB), Transit ensemble (NYC), Jack Quartet (NYC), George Vassilev (CH), Christophe Fellay (CH), ACME (NYC), Sonar Quartett (DE), Quinteto del Fuego (CH), The Six Tones (SE) and Black Page Trio (AT), Concordia (CH), Camerata Deià (ES), Zoë Martlew (GB), Todd Reynolds (NYC) and the Danish ensembles Figura, Athelas, Alpha Trio, Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Messerkvartetten, Audio Exhibition, Ensemble Midtvest, Nordic String Quartet, Messiaen Quartet Copenhagen, Trio Ismena and Rudersdal Kammersolister.

Publications

Score publications

On Edition·S

CD releases

Ejnar Kanding
…unsägliche Stelle
Figura Ensemble
KECD1 (own publisher)

Ejnar Kanding
Profundización de Azul
Contemporánea
2001, KECD2

Ejnar Kanding
Flug der Farben
Contemporánea
2011, KECD4
2020, Cosmopol

Ejnar Kanding, Frank Bretschneider
Auxiliary Blue
Contemporánea, David Hildebrandt, Frank Bretschneider, Ejnar Kanding
Dacapo 8.226540

Morten Olsen, Ejnar Kanding, Jexper Holmen, Simon Christensen, Morten S. Danielsen
Trash
Frode Andersen
Dacapo 8.226513

Ejnar Kanding, Lars Graugaard, Sunleif Rasmussen, Ivar Frounberg, Fuzzy
Harp & Computer – Electroacoustic music from diem III
Sofia Asunción Claro
Dacapo 8.224113

Andy Pape, Ejnar Kanding, Ivar Frounberg, Mogens Winkel Holm, Klaus Ib Jørgensen, Leif Kayser
Works for Classical Accordion
Geir Draugsvoll, Lise-Lotte Nielsen, Søren Kaas Claesson
Dacapo 8.224028