M / illuminationes - for soprano, recorder, baroque violin, viola da gamba, theorbo
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2009-02-01, Göteborg:
Chiral III
2009-02-01, Göteborg:
Chiral IV
2009-02-13, Stockholm:
M / illuminationes
2009-02-24, Malmö:
The Emerald Windstrings
Three CD albums are recently released:
CORDES, works by Kent Olofsson (PSSACD 170)
Dame Wiggens: divine images (10PCD001)
OPUS EST: Opus II (from Musea Records)
Kent Olofsson was born in Karlskrona in 1962. He is mainly associated with chamber music, often written for instruments in combination with electronics - meticulous compositions that evolve out of a close collaboration with particular musicians and ensembles. Himself a guitarist - he began his musical career in the symphonic rock group Opus Est in the late 1970s and early 1980s before studying composition in Malmö between 1984 and 1991 - the guitar has taken on a central role in many of his works. A notable example is the grandiose Il Liuto d'Orfeo for guitar and tape, an intricate and singularly wistful piece specially composed for fellow guitarist Stefan Östersjö. The work took home first prize in the 1999 International Competition for Electro acoustic Music in Bourges, France.
Otherwise of note amongst his series of works centering on certain aspects of sound and technology are the provocative pieces for solo instrument. All works in the series are titled Treccia (lattice-work), which betrays the aesthetic and the compositional methods he probes here. In fact Olofsson has written music in most genres - orchestral, solo concerto, vocal, electro acoustic, rock (he writes for the art rock band Dame Wiggens, with which he is also the guitarist) - and has composed music drama works, music for art exhibitions, and music for dance performances with choreographer Efva Lilja's dance company - notably The Illuminated Dream Aflame from 2001, a mammoth production at the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, which was watched by over 7,000 visitors.
With titles and themes that allude to the conceptual world of antiquity, and with influences from Oriental music and the technical and tonal universe of the renaissance, Olofsson traverses wide expanses. The relative technical complexity is often parried with a surprising immediacy born of his confident ear for acoustic texture and for the purely human experience of tonal transmutation. This "psychoacoustic" sensitivity lends his music, without compromise, the ability to get intimately close to the listener.
Kent Olofsson also works as a teacher at the Malmö Academy of Music.
Studied composition at the Malmö Academy of Music 1984-1991, first with Rolf Martinsson, then with Hans Gefors, Bo Rydberg, Bent Sørensen, Trevor Wishart, Anders Hillborg and Anders Nordentoft.
He has also studied conducting, music theory and sound engineering.
Teacher at the Malmö Academy of Music since 1993
Music theory - different levels: classical, contemporary, popular
Composition class: electro acoustic music, orchestration and composition
| 2005 | Two performances of Fascia for charango, electric MIDI-guitar and orchestra in Gothenburg. It was performed by Stefan Östersjö, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mario Venzago. First performance of The Bells for vocal groups, two choirs, instrumental ensemble and electronics. The performance took place during the festival Stockholm New Music at Berwaldhallen. The Swedish Radio Choir and members of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Wood. The concert were broadcasted directly in 8 European countries. Commission from the Malmö Symphony Orchestra for a new big orchestral work to be performed in 2007. |
| 2004 | First performance of Fascia for charango, electric MIDI-guitar and orchestra in Munich. It was performed by Stefan Östersjö, Bayerische Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lothar Zagrosek. Working periods at the Experimentalstudio in Freiburg; working on Decora for piano, percussion and electronics, The Bells for choir, ensemble and electronics, Epitome A for flute, clarinet, oboe and electronics. First performance of Epitome A by Ensemble Recherche and Experimentalstudio at the Freiburg Konzerthaus. Performance of The Monolith Masque for trombone and percussion by Benny Sluchin and Samuel Favre at Centre Pompidou in Paris. |
| 2003 | Commission from IMEB in Bourges, France for a piece for percussion and tape. The work, called Terpsichord was performed by percussion player Jonny Axelsson during the Synthese Festival in Bourges in June 2003. Working grant from Expermintalstudio of the Heinrich Strobel Stiftung in Freiburg. Alinea I-III for string quartet, tape and computer was selected for the ISCM World Music Days in Ljubjlana and performed there in September. |
| 2002 | Release of two CDs with the music of Kent Olofsson: Il Liuto d'Orfeo and Vox Nova. Awarded third prize in the composition competition BMW/musica viva in Munich for the piece Fascia for charango, electric MIDI-guitar and orchestra. Selected works for Magma - Nordic Music Days 2002 in Berlin: Tarpeian Rock were performed by finish ensemble Avanti! at the Philharmonic Chamber Music Hall, Il Liuto d'Orfeo were performed by Stefan Östersjö. |
| 2001 | Awarded first prize at the International Competition for Electroacoustic Music, IV CIMESP 2001, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for Alinea I-III for string quartet, tape and computer. Honorable mention at the IRINO composition Prize, Tokyo, Japan for Stabat Mater for 4 singers and electronic sounds. Composer in Residence at Visby International Centre for Composers. The first to work in their new studio, Studio Alpha, composing The Fields of David Smith, an electroacoustic piece in 5.1. |
| 1997 - 2001 | Collaboration with choreographer Efva Lilja and her dance company; De Genomskinliga, Beyond the Pale and Mareld, all electroacoustic music. At midnight august 25th 2001, they made a huge performance called The Illuminated Dream Aflame on the exterior of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, with 40 dancers, a male choir, light-and water-designs and electroacoustic music, for an audience of more than 7 000 people! |
| 1999 | Awarded first prize in the cathegory "Studio and score" at the International Competition for Electroacoustic Music in Bourges for Il Liuto d'Orfeo for guitar and tape. |
| 1998 | Swedish Grammy Award for the CD with guitarist Stefan Östersjö. Kent Olofsson was the producer of the CD and did also contribute with two works:The Garden of Earthly Delights for guitar and chamber ensemble and Treccia for solo guitar. Granted "Lilla Christ Johnson Prize" from the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm for Hephaestus Forge for percussion and orchestra. |
| 1992, -98, -01 | works at the Warsaw Autumn, Poland; Flutes and Cymbals for Cybele, Tarpeian Rock and Il Liuto d'Orfeo. |
| 1995 | release of the CD "The Veiled Hearts" with works by Kent Olofsson; Lamentationes - a chamber oratorio, Treccia for violoncello and Burning Pitch for saxophone quartet and tape. |
| 1994 | commission from GMEB in Bourges, France; Eos Weeping Dew an electroacoustic piece that was first performed at Festival Synthése in 1994. The piece was given an honorable mention at the III CIMESP competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil 1999. |
| 1990 | participated in the composition course with György Ligeti and Marco Stroppa at the Bartok Festival in Hungary. |
| 1989, -91, -94 | works at the UNM-festivals (Young Nordic Music); Concerto for two pianos and orchestra, the chamber opera Eurydice in Copenhagen and the chamber oratorio Lamentationes. |
| 1991 | two works released on CD with the Ensemble Ars Nova: Flutes and Cymblas for Cybele an T. |
| 1977 - 84 | played with the progressive rock group Opus Est and composed and arranged most of the bands material. They released one album in 1983 that were rereleased on CD in 2003 by French label Musea. |