Ejnar Kanding is known for exploring the possibilities within a wide range of musical expressions, from the bodily expanding to the emotionally static or melancholic. His uniquely colorful timbre unites the electronic and acoustic sound in complex textures, bodily energy, and delicate simplicity. Kanding’s music is a sensuous voyage into the unknown areas of inner life. Like a hall of mirrors, his music is a journey into the ambiguous. The musical expression, form, and phrase are in focus, often with electronic sound as a counterpoint. He is the artistic leader in the ensemble Contemporánea – Live Electronics Denmark and in EarUnit – concert series.
Kanding got his degree in composition and musical theory at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen in 1993, followed by studies at IRCAM in Paris and with Professor Lev Koblyakov in Jerusalem in 1994 and 1995, and he has since his debut concert from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in 1996 specialized himself in composing music for computer and instruments (live electronics). This has led to extensive use of the software MaxMSP in the development of his works and as an instrument in live performances.
The way Kanding uses the digital mixing console and MaxMSP as an instrument is pioneering the new assignment as a musician which is known as live electronics or sound direction. His virtuosity in this field has led to numerous performances of his own works or others of both improvised and written music with various groups, for example ensembles as Cikada (NO), Ars Nova (SE), Jack Quartet (NYC), Transit ensemble (NYC), ACME (NYC), Ensemble Adapter (DE) and Ensemble Mosaik (DE).
His works have been released on several albums, in 2022 Nordic Broken featuring Trio Ismena (DK), Stillstehen featuring Ensemble Adapter (DE), and Garden of Gethsemane featuring ensemble Contemporánea (DK); and in 2021 Nine Waves featuring Nordic String Quartet (DK/SE) and Textures & Mosaics II featuring American Contemporary Music Ensemble (US). Earlier releases on CD: such as the numbered albums titled “…unsägliche Stelle” (1997) of his debut concert with the Danish ensemble Figura, “Profundización de Azul” (2001) – an entire album of Kanding’s music inspired by his many travels with ensemble Contemporánea to five South American countries in the late 90s, “Flug der Farben” (2012) with chamber and solo works composed for Contemporánea in the course of a 10 years period and the 2013 release of “Auxiliary Blue”, Dacapo, which marks a five-year-long collaboration with Frank Bretschneider (DE).
Kanding’s music has been selected for prominent festivals such as International Computer Music Conference (2001, 2004, 2010), International Society for Contemporary Music (2002, 2008), Festival Synthése, Nordic Music Days, Up North, and Interactive Arts Performances Series at New York University, etc. Besides the Danish Arts Foundation’s three-year stipend and numerous work grants, Kanding has received several commissions from a string of international ensembles such as Osiris Trio (NL), Harry Sparnaay Trio (NL), Crash ensemble (IR), Cikada ensemble (NO), ensemble Ars Nova (SE), ensemble Adapter (DE), JACK quartet (NYC), Transit ensemble (NYC), American Contemporary Music Ensemble (NYC), Quinteto del Fuego (CH), The Six Tones (SE), Black Page Orchestra (AT), ConCordis (CH), Camerata Deià (ES), Zoë Martlew (GB), Todd Reynolds (US) as well as the Danish ensembles Figura, Athelas, Alpha Trio, Copenhagen Art Ensemble, Messerkvartetten, Ensemble Midtvest, Nordic String Quartet, Messiaen Quartet Copenhagen, Trio Ismena, Rudersdal Kammersolister.
Selected works
Series of works
Stillstehen 1-5 (2009-2017) Work cycle for bass clarinet, percussion, harp, cello & live-electronics (MaxMSP) (47-51’)
Textures & Mosaics, volume 1 (2013-2015), Clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, violoncello & live-electronics (34’)
Textures & Mosaics, volume 2 (2013-2018), String quartet & live-electronics (Max) (34’)
CRATAEGI (2012, 2022), slagtøj solo/MSP/video (47:47)
Nordic Trilogy (2020-2022) (71')
1. Nordic Broken Clarinet in Bb, violin, cello, piano & live-electronics (Max)
2. Nordic Fragments Violin, cello, piano & live-electronics (Max)
3. Nordic Extraction Violin, viola, cello, piano & live-electronics (Max)
BILLOW (STURMWELLE, 2020, 2024), solo clarinet (Bb, G, bass)/MSP/video (45:47’)
LEGENDE (2023), Contemporánea, cl/vc/perc/pno/MSP (51-53’)
String Quartet No. 1-8 (2004-2025) (including Die achte Elegie)
Larger ensembles
Flug der Farben (1994-1995) (Die zweite Elegie), sinfonietta (19’)
Vergeuder der Schmerzen (1995) (Die vierte Elegie), orchestra (11’)
Simplichitas – Textura (2018), orchestra (17’)
Emotion Waves (2019), Wind quintet and piano quintet (11’)
