Hans Abrahamsen
An overview
Composition studies Per Nørgård and György Ligeti, among others
Annex to press release from the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation, 30 January 2018
Performances with the following orchestras, among others
The Berlin Philharmonic
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Cleveland Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
WDR Symphonieorchestra
The Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra, London
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Danish Orchestra
Copenhagen Phil
Performances with the following ensembles, among others
London Sinfonietta
Schoenberg/Asko Ensemble
Alarm Will Sound
Ensemble Signal
Talea Ensemble
ensemble recherche
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
The Danish String Quartet
Arditti String Quartet.
Trio con Brio
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Intercomtemporain
Esbjerg Ensemble
Ensemble MidtVest
Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen
Performances with the following ensembles, among others
Andris Nelsons
Kirill Petrenko
Sir Simon Rattle
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Kent Nagano
Franz Welser-Möst
George Benjamin
Oliver Knussen
Reinbert de Leeuw
Ilan Volkov
Thomas Dausgaard
Michael Schønwandt
Performances at the following festivals, among others
La Biennale di Venezia
Witten Musiktage
Musica Nova Helsinki
Ultima Festival
Klangspuren Festival
Risør Kammermusikfest
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival
Numus festival
Musikhøst
Most significant works and first performances until today
1973 10 Preludes. String quartet no. 1
1973-76 Stratification
1976-78 Winternacht
1978 Walden
1982 Nacht und Trompeten (commissioned and performed for the first time by the Berlin Philharmonic, conductor: Hans Werner Henze)
1985 Märchenbilder (commissioned and performed for the first time by London Sinfonietta, conductor: Elgar Howarth)
1987 Lied in Fall (commissioned and performed for the first time by London Sinfonietta, cello: Christopher van Kampen, conductor: Diego Masson)
1998 10 Studies for Piano (performed for the first time in November 1998 by Anne Marie Abildskov)
2000 Concert for piano and orchestra (commissioned and performed for the first time by Ensemble BIT 20, piano: Anne Marie Abildskov, conductor: Susanna Mälkki)
2004 Four pieces for orchestra (commissioned and performed for the first time by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, conductor: Thomas Dausgaard)
2008 Schnee (commissioned by WDR and performed for the first time at Witten Musiktage by ensemble recherche)
2011 Double concert (commissioned and performed for the first time by the Royal Danish Orchestra, violin: Baiba Skride, piano: Lauma Skride, conductor: André de Ridder)
2012 String Quartet no. 4 (commissioned by WDR et al and performed for the first time by Arditti String Quartet at Witten Musiktage)
2013 let me tell you (commissioned and performed for the first time by the Berlin Philharmonic, soprano: Barbara Hannigan, conductor: Andris Nelsons)
2015 Left, alone (commissioned and performed for the first time by WDR et al, piano: Alexandre Tharaud, conductor: Ilan Volkov)
Prizes, including
1989 The Carl Nielsen Prize
1998 Edition Wilhelm Hansen composition prize
2015 Best Large-Scale Composition at the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards for let me tell you
2016 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for let me tell you
2016 Gramophone Classical Music Award for Contemporary Music for let me tell you
2016 The Nordic Council Music Prize for let me tell you
2016 Diapason d’Or 2016 for let me tell you
2016 Edison Klassiek prize for let me tell you
2017 DR P2 – The Danish album of the year for let me tell you