Stefan Thorsson

Stefan Thorsson (b. 1968) is a Swedish composer based in Berlin. He completed his Master studies in Composition in 2008 at the Academy of Stage and Music in Gothenburg and at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, with the thesis project Dialogue Music: The Dead Angles of Contemporary Music. He works mainly with contemporary stage art, theater and film. Central to Thorsson’s process is a visual and musical exploration of the potential for his work to be infiltrated by other genres and times. Often in the form of experimental, improvisational projects that include diverse media, his works pose existential questions about music as a contemporary art form. Since 1998, Thorsson has collaborated with artists from other fields on some fifteen cross-disciplinary art projects. On his own, he has composed over thirty works, ranging from soloists and various chamber ensemble formations to larger choirs and orchestras. In tandem with his compositional practice, he writes reviews and essays for three magazines: KunstForum (visual arts), Scenekunst (performing arts) and Nutida Musik (contemporary music).

2015

New work: Broken Piece (17′) for 1: Violoncellosolo, percussion quartet and string orchestra, and 2: Chamber ensemble. (Not premiered)

New work: Good Morning Kirkland! (3’33″) A trio for piano with optional woodwind and string instrument. (Not premiered)

New work: Via di San teodoro (30’) for soprano, mezzosoprano, string quartet, electronics & video. (Not premiered)

New work: Triptych 1981 (15′) for two violins. (Not premiered)

Stage Art: Do No More Than Look (15’) for video & electronics. (Premiered in New York, USA, 18.09.2015)

Stage Art: Det siste mennesket (20’) for electronics. (Premiered in Skien, Norway, 26.02.2015)

Text: Et parlament av former. An art review, KunstFORUM (KF).

Text: Dramaturgienes konsekvenser. An art review, KF.

Text: Ekte fiksjon. A music festival review, Scenekunst (SK).

Text: Døden i Körnerpark. An art review, KF.

Text: Følelsens mekanisering. An art review, KF.

2014

Stage Art: Der Letzte Mensch  (60’) for electronics. (Premiered in Berlin, 20.09.2014)

New work: V (21’) for Orchestra. (Not premiered)

New work: Three point one four (13’) for Mixed Choir a Cappella. (Not premiered)

New work: The Dismounted Heaven (10’) for Viola, English Horn & Chamber Ensemble (Not premiered)

New work: One of two elegiac trios (23’) for chamber ensemble. (Not premiered)

Text: Ordtsunami i Berlin. A music festival review, SK.

Text: Redefining displaced form. An art review, KF.

Text: Ultraschall. A music festival review, Nutida Musik (NM).

2013

New work: Hybrid (12’) for String ensemble. (Not premiered)

Festival: Auto Body (8’) for Chamber Choir, ISCM, Vienna, Austria.

New work/Stage Art: A prayer for the unborn child (60’) for electronics. Premiered in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Text: Tidens pil og irreversible hendelser. An essay on time, KunstFORUM (KF).

Text: Metallarbetarens eteriska dotter. An essay on Kaija Saariaho, Tidningen Kulturen (TK).

Text: Maerzmusik. A music festival review, TK.

Text: Musik som minnesmärken. An essay on Lars Petter Hagen and Christian Boltanski, TK.

Text: A question of grain. An art review, KF.

Text: Is it a mortal sin to stagnate? An art review, KF.

Text: The language of art. An art review, KF.

Text: Art fallen into oblivion. An art review, KF.

2012

New work: Don’t bang the drum (11’) for Orchestra. (Not premiered)

New work: A dog came in the kitchen (13’) for String trio & Vocal quartet. (Not premiered)

New work: Seven (49’) for Piano trio. (Not premiered)

New work: Into my arms (5’) for Chamber ensemble. (Not premiered)

Text: Robert Schumann & misslyckandets triumf. An essay on Schumann, TK.

Text: Vridning – Motstånd – Stoft. An essay on contemporary german music, TK.

Text: Simplicity full of nuances. An art review, KF.

Text: Beräknande konst i Hamburg. Art review, TK.

Text: Nørgård i tid och evighet. An essay on Per Nørgård, TK.

Text: Cartaditalia. An essay on contemporary italian music, TK.

Text: Svampens uppgift är att befria världen från gammalt skräp. An essay on John Cage, TK.

Text: Ultima musikdrama – The List. A music festival review, TK & Scenekunst, Norway.

2011

New work: Auto Body (8’) for Chamber choir. Will be premiered at ISCM 2013, Vienna, Austria.

New work: The Shadows (16’) for two pianos. (Not premiered)

New work: 11 Rhythmic Studies (14’) for piano. (Not premiered)

New work/Stage Art: The lost humanity (30’) for Organ & Electronics. Premiered at Jacobskyrkan, Oslo

Text: Det klingande sakramentet. An essay on liturgical music, TK.

Text: Är musiken hemlös? An essay on Heiner Goebbels, TK.

2010

Festival/Stage Art: Saba Pacha (40’) for Chamber ensemble. Ultima festival, Oslo.

New work/Stage Art: Who is Lou? (60’) for electronics. Proekt Fabrika, Moscow, Russia

New work: Streich Quartet V (18’) for String Quartet. (Not premiered)

2009

Festival: Shore Leave (15’) for Chamber ensemble, ISCM, Sydney, Australia.

New work/Stage Art: Esther is Crawling (50’) for electronics. Aarhus museum of modern art, Denmark.

New work: Waltz after Stromberg (9’) for Chamber ensemble. (Not premiered)

Text: Det som har varit följer med oss men nu i nya otydliga skepnader. An essay on experiences of music through history, TK

Text: Den nya musikens åldrande, isolering och estetiska kortslutning. An essay on Adorno, TK

2008

New work/Film score: Kredens (30’). A documentary by Jacob Dammas, Warsaw, Poland.

Text: Dialogue music. Master dissertation at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Text: Att lyssna är att observera sig själv. An essay on Helmut Lachenmann, TK