Erik Højsgaard
“…while Erik Højsgaard’s Cello Concerto was simply the most sheerly beautiful piece in the festival”
Paul Griffiths - The Times
Erik Højsgaard (b. 1954) studied composition under Per Nørgård at the Royal Academy of Music, where he graduated with a diploma in 1978. He then studied aural training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, completing his studies with a degree in music pedagogy.
Teaching
Since 1982, Erik Højsgaard has taught aural training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music – from 1988 as an associate professor, and since 2002 as professor.
From 2003-04 Erik also taught composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg.
Artistic practice
Erik’s list of composed works includes two symphonies, a cello concerto and a piano concerto, as well as the opera Don Juan vender hjem fra krigen (Don Juan Returns from the War), a revised version of which was premiered in Vienna in 2006. He composed the work Fragment for chamber orchestra in connection with the Malko Conducting Competition in 1995, and he has also composed several works of chamber music, inter alia two string quartets and a series of landscapes, including Paysage blême, which was premiered in London by the British ensemble Capricorn. He has also written several works for solo instruments, including Épreuve for accordion and C’est la mer mêlée au soleil for guitar, which has been recorded several times, most recently by Niklas Johansen in 2017 in connection with a release to mark the 150th anniversary of RDAM. In recent years he has composed works for solo piano, solo viola, chamber ensemble and sinfonietta.
Erik has orchestrated and arranged several works by other composers, including Alexander Scriabin’s Vers la flamme for large orchestra and Carl Nielsen’s Musik til fem digte af J. P Jacobsen (Music to five poems by J.P. Jacobsen), op. 4 for soprano and orchestra. For many years he has enjoyed a close collaboration with Ensemble Storstrøm in the performance of his works.
Erik’s works have been performed all over the world, and he has been represented at several international festivals: ISCM World Music Days, the Salzburg Festival, Nordic Music Days, NUMUS, Festival Internazionale di Musica Roma, MusicSommerBerlin, Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte Montepulciano, Copenhagen Summer Festival, Aarhus Festival, Aussichten Modern, OpenDays, etc.
In 2003-2004 Erik was house composer for the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra.
1979 - Three-year working scholarship of the Danish Arts Foundation
1979 - Astrid and Axel Agerby Memorial Scholarship
1987 - Herman Sandby Scholarship
1992 - Danish Composers’ Society Scholarship
1993 - Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Honorary Scholarship
1995 - Poul and Sylvia Schierbeck Scholarship
2014 - Hakon Børresen Foundation Prize
Orchestra, Sinfonietta
- Essay I-V – for sinfonietta
Water - Dust - Time - Mirror - Venice - Fire Skitser - for sinfonietta
- Fragment - for orchestra
- Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
- Refleksion - for orchestra
- Scherzo e notturno - for brass band
- Symphony No. 1 - for orchestra
- Symphony No. 2 - for orchestra
- Untitled - for orchestra
Scenic works
- Don Juan kommt aus dem Krieg (Don Juan Returns from the War). Opera in 3 acts for 5 sopranos, 2 mezzo-sopranos, alto, baritone, sinfonietta
- Fronttheater – for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone and piano for left hand
- The Lost Forest (Ballet music) – for baritone, flute, percussion and double bass
Chamber music with voice
- Fragmenter - for soprano, violin and guitar
- Landet som icke är - for soprano, cor anglais and string quartet
- Rosen - for soprano, cor anglais and string quartet
- Songs for poems by Ole Sarvig - for voice and piano
- Sangens gudinde - for soprano and guitar
- Six songs of autumn - for alto flute, cello, piano and soprano - alternative version 1: alto flute, cello, harp, percussion, soprano - alternative version 2: alto flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, guitar, soprano
- Skitse - for soprano, flute, oboe, percussion, celeste, harp, string quartet
- Sommersange - for soprano, clarinet and piano
- Two songs to texts by Storm and Calvino - for soprano, guitar, percussion
- Tuans sange - for soprano, trumpet, 2 tubas, percussion, guitar, piano (composed with Svend Aaquist)
- Täglich kommt die gelbe Sonne - for soprano, flute, clarinet, guitar, percussion, piano, violin, cello
Chamber music without voice
- Akvareller - for viola and guitar - alternative version: clarinet and guitar
- Carillon - for percussion (6)
- Choral - for flute, clarinet, bassoon, piano, harp, violin, viola and cello
- Dialoger - for oboe and guitar - alternative versions: flute and guitar, clarinet and guitar, recorder and guitar, violin and guitar, flute and harp
- Echi di Agosto - for flute and clarinet
- Equali - for 3 guitars
- Fantasistykker - for clarinet, cello and piano
- Fire små stykker - for saxophone (soprano, alto, baritone), percussion - alternative version 1: tenor saxophone and percussion - alternative version 2: clarinet and percussion - alternative version 3: alto saxophone and percussion
- Images from the past - for flute and 2 guitars
- Images oubliées I-III - for flute, oboe (cor anglais), clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello
- Intermezzi - for flute and harp
- Intrada - for 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba
- Paysage - for flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello - alternative version: flute, clarinet, horn, 2 guitars, piano, violin, viola, cello
- Paysage blême - for flute, oboe, clarinet, piano, violin, viola, cello
- Paysage triste - for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano - alternative version: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano, violin, viola, cello
- Solprismer - for string quartet
- Spejl - for accordion duo
- Solprismer - for string quartet
- To mobiler - for percussion (2)
- Udstillingsbillede - for flute, clarinet, bassoon, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello
- Vier Stücke - for flute and guitar
Solo instrument and solo voice
- Cendrée - for percussion
- C’est la mer mêlée au soleil - for guitar
- Chamber Music - for piano
- Épreuve - for accordion
- Feuillet d’album - for piano
- Fünf Stücke - for viola
- Image of Light, adieu - for piano
- Skumring - for organ
- Sonata for solo cello
- Two songs for solo soprano
- Two pieces - for piano
- Three small pieces - for organ
Choral works
- Four songs to poems by Søren Ulrik Thomsen – versions for mixed choir, female vocal ensemble, mixed choir and live electronics, male voice choir, male voice choir and ensemble
- ‘Saa lykkelige, saa glade’ - for 4 chorally-arranged voices, e.g. SATB, SSAA, TTTT or ATBB, four mechanical metronomes
- Two songs for mixed choir - SATB
Instruments and computer
- Corellage - for guitar and computer
- Havet og sand og lavinen og stilhed. Og gentagelsen - for percussion (12), electric guitar, synthesizer, voices, recitation, computer
- Nocturne - for sinfonietta, midi keyboard and computer
- Vifte - for percussion (12), 2 synthesizers, computer
- Vifte II - for 2 midi keyboards, computer
- Violin Sonata - for violin and computer
Arrangements and versions
- C.F.E. Horneman: Aladdin: Fairytale overture - for chamber ensemble
- J.S. Bach: Canon per augmentationem in contrario motu (Die Kunst der Fuge) - for orchestra
- Samuel Barber: Canzone - for chamber ensemble
- Ottorino Respighi: Cinque Lirique - for soprano and chamber ensemble
- Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre - for chamber ensemble
- Alexander Borodin: In the Steppes of Central Asia - for chamber ensemble
- Carl Nielsen: Prelude to Act 2 of Maskarade - for chamber ensemble
- Johann Strauss: Frühlingsstimmen - for soprano and chamber ensemble
- Charles Ives: In Flanders Fields - for baritone, clarinet, cello and piano
- Gioacchino Rossini: La Scala di seta: Sinfonia - for chamber ensemble
- Carl Nielsen: Music to five poems by J.P. Jacobsen - for soprano solo and orchestra
- Carl Nielsen: Nine pieces of stage music for “Aladdin” - for chamber ensemble
- Carl Nielsen: Pan og Syrinx - for chamber ensemble
- Claude Debussy: Première rhapsodie - for chamber ensemble
- Carl Nielsen: Solen er saa rød, mor - for children’s choir and mixed choir - alternative version 1: chamber ensemble - alternative version 2: children’s choir and string orchestra
- Maurice Ravel: Tzigane - for chamber ensemble
- Hugo Alfvén: Vallflickans dans - for chamber ensemble
- Alexander Skrjabin: Vers la flamme - for orchestra
- Franz Schubert: Waldes Nacht – for baritone, clarinet, cello and piano
Pedagogical development (PUV) /Other development activity (AUV)
- Rytme (Rhythm) – Erik Højsgaard
Masterclasses and lectures
Conservatorio di Musica in Parma, the international aural training conference Sentiamoci à Parma, the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, the Academy of Music in Ljubljana and the Music Conservatory of Northern Norway, Tromsø.
Erik has been represented with works at several festivals: ISCM World Music Days, Salzburg Festival, Nordic Music Days, NUMUS, Festival Internazionale di Musica, Rome, ICMC Computer Festival, Scandinavian Music Today, Japan, Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte, Montepulciano, Young Nordic Music, Composer Biennale, Copenhagen, Copenhagen Summer Festival, Sorø International Music Festival, Fylkingen, Stockholm, MusikSommerBerlin, Aarhus Festival, Aussichten Modern, OpenDays, etc.
Concert performances and radio broadcasts in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Israel, South Korea, USA and Australia. In addition, concert performances in Japan, Russia, Cuba, Egypt, Brazil and Mexico, and radio broadcasts in Ireland, Spain, Romania, the Czech Republic and Canada.
Conference participation
Sentiamoci à Parma 2018-2020:
Book publications
Rytme · videregående studier (2016) af Erik Højsgaard
Rhythm · advanced studies (2016) by Erik Højsgaard
Ritmica · livello avanzato. Edizione italiana a cura di Massimo Leonardi (2020), Erik Højsgaard
Handbook on Accordion Notation by Geir Draugsvoll and Erik Højsgaard. The Danish version may be downloaded here, and the English and German versions here.
CD releases
Karl Aage Rasmussen, Niels Rosing-Schow, Anders Nordentoft, Erik Højsgaard
Kammermusik
Capricorn Ensemble, Lionel Friend
Dacapo 8.224008
Various composers, incl. Erik Højsgaard
150th Anniversary of the Royal Danish Academy of Music
Niklas Johansen
Dacapo 8.201202
Erik Højsgaard, Dionisio Aguado, Nicolò Paganini, Carlo Domeniconi
Debut
Niklas Johansen
dotGuitar.it. G1605
Højsgaard, Grieg, Nielsen
Åh, ved du den drøm - ved du den sang?
Anne Margrethe Dahl, Ensemble Storstrøm, Frans Rasmussen
CDK 1088
Højsgaard, Holmboe, Christensen, Aguirre, Abrahamsen, Ørvad, Bach, Franck, Prokofiev
Wing Span
Adam Ørvad
Danacord DACOCD 718
Højsgaard, Holmboe, Borup-Jørgensen, Østen Mikael Ore, Nordstrøm, Nørholm
Outline
Per Dybro Sørensen
Classico CLASSCD 744
Højsgaard, Britten, José, Mamiya, Tansman
Guitar Album
Azusa Shimizu
Col legno 20216 1CD
Erik Højsgaard, Lars Hegaard, Per Nørgård, Niels la Cour, John Frandsen, Bo Lundby Jæger, Svend Nielsen
Jesper Lützhøft spiller dansk guitar
Jesper Lützhøft
IRISCD 0102
Erik Højsgaard, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Anders Brødsgaard
Velkomst til et nyt årtusinde
Jens E. Christensen
Year 2000 Foundation, DCCD 2000
Erik Højsgaard, Per Nørgård, Axel Borup-Jørgensen, Karsten Fundal, Jesper Koch, Pierre Dørge, Lars Klit
Playtime
Guitar trio 1+2
PAULA PACD 102
21 children’s songs arranged by Danish composers - including Carl Nielsen/Erik Højsgaard: Solen er saa rød Mor.
Tingelingelater – fra Tordenskjolds soldater
Musica Ficta and the Children’s Choir of the Royal Academy of Music
Exlibris EXLCD 30062
Erik Højsgaard, Karl Aage Rasmussen, Niels Rosing-Schow, Anders Nordentoft
Contemporary Music from Denmark
Capricorn Ensemble
MXPCD 0593
Erik Højsgaard, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Poul Ruders, Bent Lorentzen
The Danish Trio (Den fynske trio)
Den fynske trio
PAULA PACD 57
LP releases
Erik Højsgaard, Bo Holten
Koncert for cello og orkester; Caccia
Erling Bløndal Bengtsson, Harold Farberman, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schönberg
PAULA PALP 49
Erik Højsgaard
Fragmenter, C’est la mer mêlée au soleil, Cendrée, Sonata
Helle Hinz, Tim Frederiksen, Karl Petersen, Frans Hansen, Niels Ullner
PAULA PALP 35
Erik Højsgaard, Lars Hegaard, Steen Pade, Ole Buck
Kontra-kvartetten
PAULA PALP 22
Scores published by Edition S and Edition Wilhelm Hansen
