Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
The organist Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen (b. 1955) is one of the most versatile musicians on the Danish organ scene, who right from his debut in 1982 made a name for himself with a concert programme of weighty German and French organ classics.
Sven-Ingvart studied at the academies of music in Esbjerg and Copenhagen, and supplemented his studies in Vienna under Prof. Michael Radulescu, and in Paris with the organists Marie-Claire Alain and André Isoir.
Sven-Ingvart’s work as an organist is characterised by a great curiosity to try out new forms of concert programmes and ensemble playing, and he wishes to pass on this curiosity and joy of music to the next generations of organists through his teaching. He also has a great interest in organ building and historical organs, and in general a predilection for narrow, unexplored topics in organ history, which is reflected amongst other things in his research and publications.
Teaching
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen is department head for organ, church music, period music and consort, and has been a professor at RDAM since 1 December 2019.
Previously, he has been employed at both the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Esbjerg and the Danish National Academy of Music, and has given courses and lectures at academies of music and music schools in Denmark and abroad.
Artistic practice
Sven-Ingvart has extensive concert activity under his belt, with concerts in a large number of European countries, as well as in North and South America and Asia.
His musical curiosity has led, amongst other things, to the discovery of J.A. Scheibe’s organ sonatas, which he has documented with both a CD recording and a publication of the scores. He has put together concert programmes of an experimental nature, such as music for organ and the Breton folk instrument the bombarde, and there have been a number of concerts with violin and organ, featuring a constellation of classical music and ‘classical’ adaptations of symphonic rock classics.
French Baroque music and its liturgical place alongside Gregorian chant has fascinated Sven-Ingvart to such an extent that he has conducted research into a stylistically correct performance of Gregorian chant in a polyphonic Baroque style. His appointment as organist at Frederiksborg Castle Chapel led to several CD releases and a book publication on the historic Compenius organ dating from 1610, and in 2010 he was the organiser and artistic director of the Festival for Historical Musical Instruments at Frederiksborg Castle.
Artistic development (KUV)
Orglet som orkestersubstitut (The Organ as Orchestra Substitute)– Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Transcriptions of A. Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Chausson’s violin concerto Poéme for violin and organ, as well as Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs for soprano, violin and organ. Following this, a series of organ transcriptions of symphonic rock classics, in some cases re-composed with the addition of quotations by J.S. Bach.
Pedagogical development (PUV)
2023: Preparation of a handbook for organists with a concise introduction to the various work areas that the organist's work includes.
Research
- 2019: Publication of a documentary supplement to the book The Compenius Organ from 2012, containing all the essential documents about the Compenius organ that were not yet publicly available. The publication was supported by the Wroblevski Foundation and the Frobenius Foundation. The book The Compenius Organ – Measurements and Descriptions is published in collaboration with Thomas Lyngby, Head of Research at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle.
- 2016: Publication of Johann Adolph Scheibe’s organ works (three sonatas) by the Mixtur publishing house, as well as the release of CD recordings of Scheibe’s organ works. The publication was presented at the Copenhagen International Organ Festival 2016.
- 1998-99: Fransk orgelbarok og gregoriansk sang (French Organ Baroque and Gregorian Chant) – a one-year research stay in France, with studies and guidance from Jan Willem Jansen, Emanuel Mandrin and Susan Landale, amongst others. Report with description of results.
- In extension of projects: CD releases of Grigny Premier livre d’Orgue (2010), F. Couperin Messe pour les Couvents (2014), J.-A. Guilain 4 Suites pour le Magnificat (2015), Book publication Fransk barok og gregoriansk sang, published by Mixtur (2016).
Sven-Ingvart has played concerts in, amongst other places, Notre Dame in Paris, Washington National Cathedral, Saint Thomas Fifth Av. New York and Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore.
- 2022: Berlin, masterclass at Universität der Künstle
- 2017: Krakow, masterclass and concert at the Academy of Music.
- 2014: Rio de Janeiro, masterclass in “Nossa Senhora do carmo da Lapa”.
- 2012: Paris, Conservatoire de Saint-Maur, masterclass.
- 2011: Parma, Conservatorio di Musica - three-day masterclass.
- 2010: Parma, Conservatorio di Musica. “Buxtehude, Bruhns and Böhm.” - three-day masterclass.
- 2007: University of California, Los Angeles. “Scandinavian Organ Music”.
- 2004: “Buxtehude to the present” – concert and masterclass for organ students at UCLA.
- 1997: Colorado State University, Fort Collins. “Danish Organ Music”.
- 1993: Hamburg, Hochschule für Musik. “Dänische Orgelmusik”.
- 1993: Malmö Academy of Music: “Orgelns funktion – En mångsidigare maskin än vi trott? Orgelns musikaliska “roller”: ackompanjemangs-, kammarmusik-, orkester- och soloinstrument, orkestersubstitut.” (The function of the organ - A more versatile machine than we thought? The organ’s musical “roles”: accompaniment, chamber music, orchestral and solo instrument, orchestra substitute).
- Teacher in preparatory class for academies (MGK) at Sct. Annæ Gymnasium.
- Responsible for organ teaching at talent camp and open-house events at RDAM.
1995-: Moderator at the concluding examinations of the academies of music – appointed by the Minister for Cultural Affairs.
2010: Member of the assessment committee of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education regarding the application from Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College for the right to hold graduation examinations.
2006-2007: Evaluation of Swedish music study programmes – member of the Nordic evaluation group under the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education – visit to five Swedish academies of music with subsequent preparation of the report Utvärdering av grund- och forskarutbildning inom musikerutbildningerna vid svenska universitet och högskolar - Kvalitetsgranskning (Evaluation of undergraduate and postgraduate education in music education at Swedish universities and colleges - Quality review).
2017-: Member of the board of Sjællands Kirkemusikskole (Sealand Church Music School)
2003-: Organ consultant for various parish councils in matters of the restoration, design and new construction of organs.
2002-2016: Supervisor of the historic Compenius organ at Frederiksborg Castle, with responsibility to the Palaces and Properties Agency.
Score/book publications
Vivaldi, Antonio
De fire årstider (arr. for violin og orgel af Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen)
Edition Egtved 1996, MF557-A, MF557-B, MF557-C, MF557-D
Scheibe, Johann Adolph
Three Trio Sonatas for Organ (critical edition by Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen)
Forlaget Mixtur 2016, FMX01-018
Mikkelsen, Sven-Ingvart
Gregoriansk Sang og Fransk Barok
Forlaget Mixtur 2016, FMX02-010 (Edition with three CDs, FMX02-010CD)
Mikkelsen, Sven-Ingvart; Lyngby, Thomas (ed.)
The Compenius Organ – Measurements and Descriptions
Museum of National History, Frederiksborg Castle, 2019
Røllum-Larsen, Claus; Lyngby, Thomas; Mikkelsen, Sven-Ingvart; Nørfelt, Henrik Fibiger (ed.)
Compenius-orglet 1610-2010
The Danish Organ Society and the Museum of National History, Frederiksborg Castle, 2012 (213 pages incl. DVD)
Mikkelsen, Sven-Ingvart (co-editor)
Dansk Orgelmusik I og II
Published by Kirkemusikforlaget 2007-10
CD releases
Johann Adolph Scheibe
Sonatas for Organ
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK 1169
Hans Matthison-Hansen
Six Fantasias for Organ
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK 1125
Jean-Adam Guilain
4 suites pour le Magnificat
Vox Gregoriana, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK1149
Francois Couperin
Messe pour les Couvents
Vox Gregoriana, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK1142
Nicolas de Grigny
Prémier livre d´Orgue
Ensemble Vox Gregoriana, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK1031-32
400 Years of Danish Organ Music
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK 528-30 - Nominated as “Danish Classical Solo Recording of the Year”
Georg Böhm
Complete Organ Works, Vol. 1
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Kontrapunkt 32213
Georg Böhm
Complete Organ Works, Vol. 2
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Kontrapunkt 32239
Nicolaus Bruhns
Complete Organ Works
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Kontrapunkt 32198
Organ Music by J.S. Bach, Anton Heiller, Peter Møller
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Point 474475
Retro Rock II for Violin and Organ
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK 1078
Orgabard - Music for Bombarde & Organ
Jens Rømer, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
Various composers
Chamber Music with the Compenius Organ
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen, Lene Langballe, Roberto Falcone
Retro Rock for Violin and Organ
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CDK 750
J.S. Bach:
Six Sonatas for Violin and Organ
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CLASSCD 718-719
Salmer til tiden – Korssilhuetter
Maren-Maria Baun, Aksel Krogslund Olesen, Finn Rosenberg, Birgitte Kyed, Pia Andersen, Lilly Schulz, Løgumkloster Vokal Ensemble, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CLASSCD 414
Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons – transcribed for Violin and Organ
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CLASSCD 333
Max Bruch
Konzerte (Suite für Orgel und Orchester)
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen, Tübinger Ärzteorchester, Nobert Kirchmann
ebs 6049
Wolfgang von Siebenthal
Kompositionen für Violine und Orgel (Phantasie und Metamorphosen)
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
“Poème” French Romantic Music
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CAN 33012
Stenhammar, Olsson, Svendsen, Sinding, Grieg, Bull, Henriques, Gade, Lange-Müller
Scandinavian Romantic Music for Violin and Organ
Jochen Brusch, Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen
CAN 33011
