Christian Winther Christensen has his own unmistakable style and manifests himself as a completely contemporary composer pushing the boundaries, while at the same time relating to music history through quotations and intimations that comment on, create ironic distance, turn on it’s head and give new music a completely new dimension.
He is an example of the wave of younger composers in Europe that have each found their own musical language. Together they form the frame for a completely new way of composing and being a composer that no longer leans up against the composers of the 20th century. “The new streams give a certain freshness. Of course I am influenced by the older generation since it is them I have immersed myself in. I know all of Lachenmann and Ligeti’s works but what I am really inspired by is now my own generation”, says Winther Christensen. As much as Christian Winther Christensen is inspired by his own generation of composers, he too in turn influences the tendencies of his time through his works.
Christian Winther Christensen studied composition at the Royal Danish Conservatory with Bent Sørensen, Niels Rosing-Schow, Hans Abrahamsen and Hans-Peter Stubbe Teglbjærg as well as at the Paris Conservatoire with Frédéric Durieux.
His music has been performed by a long series of ensembles and orchestras such as Danish National Symphony Orchestra (DK), SWR Sinfoniorchestra (DE, )Ensemble Mosaik (DE), Ensemble Recherche (DE), London Sinfonietta (GB), Distractfold Ensemble (GB), DissonArt Ensemble (GR), Curious Chamber Player (SE), Defunensemble (FI), Uusinta Ensemble (FI), Oslo Sinfonietta (NO), Ensemble Aleph (FR), Ensemble Alternance (FR), Ensemble 2e2m (FR), Athelas Sinfonietta (DK) & SCENATET (DK).
His works have been played at the Tage für Neue Musik (DE), MATA Festival (USA), KLANGSPUREN (AT), ISCM Festival, Festival di Nuova Musica (IT), Nordic Music Days, UNM Festival, SPOR (DK), Athelas New Music Festival (DK), PULSAR (DK), G((o))ng Tomorrow (DK).
Winther Christensen has received Akademie der Künste's Kunstpreis Berlin (2020), the H.C. Lumbye/Agerby grant (2019), Léonie Sonning's Talent Prize, the Schierbeck Prize and work grants from the Danish Arts Foundation.
Selected Works:
Piano Concerto (2018)
Sextet (2010-2014)
Chromatische Weltmusik (2013)
Concerto for a Movie Loop (2012)
Festmusik - mit japanischem Geist und deutschem Akzent (2010)
Being Apu Sarkar (2009)
