René Mense
Composer

 

 

 

Curriculum Vitae

Born February 22, 1969 in Hamburg (Germany)

1981          
First classical guitar tuition and first compositions

1982
First piano lessons

1984-86
Piano lessons with Conrad Hansen (privately)

1988-95    
Studies in Composition/Music Theory with Ulrich Leyendecker at the College of Music and Theater in Hamburg

Works as freelance composer since then

1995-98
Classical guitar tuition with Ralf Jarchow (privately)

since 2000
Close colaboration with Weimar cellist Christina Meißner and Weimar-located ensemble klangwerkstatt weimar, e.g. at Hamburg-based broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), in Weimar, Dresden, and at the Festival Junge Kunst in the Christus-Pavillon of the cloister Volkenroda (Thurangia)

2002
Commissioned composition for the NDR Hamburg for the "das neue werk" series: "Child of Ocean" for voice, flute, cello and piano

French premiere of "En Face d'en Face" for flute and harp by members of the Ensemble Intercontemporain at Centre Pompidou in Paris

2003  
Franz Liszt Scholarship of the College for Music in Weimar

"1. String Quartet" – World premiere by the Iturriaga Quartett (Leipzig) at the Podium Rolf Liebermann series of NDR Hamburg, further performance at the Christus-Pavillon in Volkenroda

2004   
World premiere of "Partage" for 20 players by the Asko Ensemble, conducted by Oliver Knussen at Proms in Paradiso, Amsterdam, further performances in Groningen, The Hague and Rotterdam

2005
UK premiere of "Partage" by London Sinfonietta, conducted by Oliver Knussen at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

2006
Commissioned works for organ solo and for organ and cello for the restored "Sonnenorgel" at St. Peter & Paul in Görlitz (Saxony/Silesia)

Awards

2000
3rd prize at the 1. Göttinger Gitarrenseminar for "Three Dances in the Abtract" for guitar solo

2001  
1st prize at the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award in Tokyo for "Gebilde-Gegenbild" for large orchestra

2002
2nd prize at the Violastiftung Walter Witte (Frankfurt am Main) for "Incontri" for soprano and viola 

2004
2nd prize at the Weimarer Frühjahrstage für zeitgenössische Musik  for "A Creature Divided" for coloratura soprano and ensemble

2008
3rd prize at the composition contest of the Hanauer Kantorei for "Toben, das die Zeit verpasst hat", Three Meditations on Jeremiah, for organ solo

Further Activities

since 1989
Works as arranger for Peermusic Germany

since 2007
Chairman of the Gesellschaft für Neue Musik Hamburg e.V. (Hamburg section of the International Society for Contemporary Music) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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