Emil Gryesten
Pianist with extensive concert activities as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, Asia and the USA. Winner of numerous music competitions, including first prize in the Steinway Competition and first prize in the Nordic Pianist Competition.
Seven CD releases and numerous recording productions for DR (the Danish Broadcasting Corporation). Debut concert at Carnegie Hall, New York.
Emil Gryesten Jensen (born 1985) studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, with further studies at the Como International Piano Academy in Italy.
Teaching
A teacher at RDAM since 2017 in the subjects piano (principal study), chamber music and piano workshop.
Artistic practice
Emil played his first solo recital at the age of 15, and since then has had an active concert career as a soloist and chamber musician. At the age of 16 he made his debut as an orchestral soloist with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. He has performed at such classical music festivals as the Copenhagen Summer Festival, Aarhus Piano Festival and Hindsgavl Festival in Denmark, as well as Espoo Piano Festival and Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, Blüthner Classics in Leipzig, the concert series of the International Piano Association Switzerland in Lugano, and in the summer of 2018 at Carnegie Hall, New York.
Emil has made numerous radio productions, including both studio recordings and live broadcasts, for the P2 channel of DR (the Danish Broadcasting Corporation) and YLE in Finland, as well as a number of CD recordings for the record companies Dacapo, Danacord and CDKlassisk, including albums of solo piano works by Schubert and Liszt, and premiere recordings of the piano works of Søren Nils Eichberg.
2016: ‘The Young Elite’, Danish Arts Foundation
2014: Harby Foundation major scholarship
2011: International Čiurlionis Piano Competition, Vilnius: 3rd prize
2010: Nordic Piano Competition at Nyborg Castle: 1st prize and Audience Prize
2010: 1st prize in the Ilmari Hannikainen Piano Chamber Music Competition, Finland
2007: Léonie Sonning Music Scholarship
2006: Nordic Piano Competition, Malmö: 1st prize
2005: Helmi Vesa Scholarship Competition, Helsinki: 1st prize
2005: Music Scholarship of the Anniversary Foundation of Danmarks Nationalbank
2004: Van Hauen Foundation Music Scholarship
2003: Greta Erikson Nordic Piano Competition, Karlstad: 3rd prize
2002: Music Without Limits, Lithuania: Grand Prix
2002: EPTA International Piano Competition, Croatia: 2nd prize
2001: Danske Steinway Festival: 1st prize
2001: Berlingske Tidende’s Classical Music Competition Gold medal
2001: Unge Spiller Klassisk (Young People Play Classical Music), Aarhus: 1st prize
2000: Steinway Klavierspielwettbewerb, Hamburg: 1st prize
2020-2023: Beethoven Reconstructed
Artistic development project (KUV), focusing on Schenkerian analysis and Beethoven’s late piano sonatas. Including CD recordings of the sonatas op. 101, 106, 109, 110 and 111.
The project is being carried out with support from the Danish Ministry of Culture’s pool for Artistic Research.
Emil has toured in most European countries, as well as in the USA and the Far East.
CD releases
Edvard Grieg
Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Benedikte Damgaard, violin, Emil Gryesten, piano
Danacord – DACOCD 964
Alfred Schnittke
Works for Cello and Piano
Carl-Oscar Østerlind, Emil Gryesten
Danacord - DACOCD 878
Johannes Brahms
Works for Cello and Piano
Carl-Oscar Østerlind, Emil Gryesten
Danacord - DACOCD 875
Søren Nils Eichberg
Scherben – Works for Piano and Ensemble
Emil Gryesten, Ensemble Hærværk, Søren Nils Eichberg
Dacapo - 8.226556
Strauss, Szymanowski
Mythica: Works for Violin and Piano
Benedikte Damgaard, Emil Gryesten
CDKlassisk
Franz Liszt
Sonata – Piano Works
Emil Gryesten
Danacord -DACOCD 772
Franz Schubert
Piano Sonata in C minor, Six moments musicaux
Emil Gryesten
Danacord - DACOCD 769
Read more at: Emil Gryesten’s website
