Flemming Friis has always followed his own path as a composer and musician. As a young man, he received private lessons in piano, organ, music theory, ear training, and instrumentation but remained self-taught as a composer.
He has composed music for orchestra, chamber music, a cappella choir, and several works where choirs, vocal soloists, and instruments are accompanied by organ. Notable in his catalogue is a series of works for solo organ, including five symphonies, two suites, and two sets of dances.
His works have been frequently performed in Denmark and occasionally in Sweden, England, Germany, France, Estonia, the USA, Iceland, and Japan.
Flemming Friis is also an organist and has held positions at Kastelskirken in Copenhagen (1987 and 1989), Gurre and Tikøb Churches in North Zealand (1989-1994), and Nathanael's Church in Copenhagen (2005-2021), and he is now engaged as a substitute organist at churches in and around Copenhagen.
As an organ soloist, he has performed concerts in numerous churches in Denmark with a repertoire ranging from Baroque music by J. S. Bach, G. F. Handel, A. Vivaldi, and J. G. Walther to German and French romantic music by composers such as Max Reger, César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne, and Joseph Ermend-Bonnal, as well as performances and premieres of works by Danish composers Rued Langgaard, Leif Kayser, Vagn Holmboe, Niels Viggo Bentzon, Leif Thybo, and Svend Hvidtfelt Nielsen; in addition, he has performed many of his own works.
He has also held numerous concerts where he accompanied singers and instrumentalists.
From 1988 to 2015, Flemming Friis organized the summer concerts at Jerusalem Church in Copenhagen, where he in 1985 became familiar with the historic organ from 1916. The organ at Jerusalem Church inspired him to compose organ works during the 1980s and 1990s, including the first three of his five organ symphonies.
Flemming Friis was the editor of Edition Wilhelm Hansen's publication of Rued Langgaard's nearly two-hour-long organ work “Messis, Organ Drama in Three Evenings,” the first complete printed edition of this major work in 20th-century Danish organ repertoire.
From 1991-2020, Flemming Friis taught music theory and ear training at Helsingør Music School and the Music Foundation Course (MGK). Since 2020, he has been associated with MGK at the Copenhagen Music School, teaching conservatory preparatory music theory and ear training.
