Ansgar Beste

Ansgar Beste was born 1981 in Malmö (Sweden). His education includes an exam in church music 1996-98, exams in "kapellmeister", composition (Michael Obst), piano, music theory and arts management from the music academy of Weimar 2002-10 (Ger) as well as a master and a soloist diploma degree in composition (Luca Francesconi) from the Malmö academy of music 2007-12 (Swe), comprising exchange studies with Adriana Hölszky in Salzburg (Aut) and with Wolfgang Rihm in Karlsruhe (Ger).
In fall 2011 he started PhD studies with Lasse Thoresen at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo as well as a soloist diploma programme in composition with Hanspeter Kyburz at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin (Ger), comprising exchange studies with Beat Furrer in Graz (Aut).
Besides, he has received masterclass or private lessons from conductors like Jorma Panula, Howard Arman and Sylvain Cambreling as well as composers like Pierluigi Billone, Chaya Czernowin, James Dillon, Brian Ferneyhough, Helmut Lachenmann, Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf and Rebecca Saunders.

At competitions, Ansgar Beste won prizes like the 1st price (1,21%) at the 55th Composition Prize of the State Capital Stuttgart 2010 (Ger), 2nd price (9,52%) at Uppsala Composition Competition 2012 (Swe), ZEITklang award (6,94%) at the ZEITklang competition 2011 (Aut) as well as commissions from the Tremplin Commission Program (4,79%) of IRCAM and Ensemble intercontemporain 2012 (Fra) and at the Vocal Music Competition (24,24%) by the IGNM (ISCM) Austria 2011.
In addition, he has received scholarships from foundations like Friedrich Ebert 2004-2009 (Ger), Annik & Lars Leander 2009 (Swe), Anders Sandrews 2011 (Swe) and Alvar Krafts minne 2011/2012 (Swe) as well as from institutions like STIM 2009/2011 (Swe), Royal Swedish Academy of Music 2008-2010 and 2012 (Swe), Free State of Bavaria / Villa Concordia 2011 (Ger), the Norwegian Academy of Music (PhD Research Fellowship) in Oslo 2011 (Nor), 46th International Summer Course for New Music Darmstadt 2012 (Ger), State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania / Künstlerhaus Lukas 2012 (Ger) and Swedish Arts Council, Swedish Arts Grants Committee and Society of Swedish Composers 2012 (S).

At concerts or workshops, Ansgar Beste's music has been played by the Arditti String Quartet, Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Badische Staatskapelle, Collegium Novum Zürich, El Perro Andaluz, Ensemble intercontemporain, ensemble legno, Ensemble Platypus, Ensemble Recherche, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Jönköping Sinfonietta, Kairos Quartet, Garth Knox, Mivos Quartet, string orchestra Musica Vitae, Orchestra J Futura, Peter Sheppard Skærved, St. Christopher Woodwind Quintet, Swedish Wind Ensemble, Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, women's choir Vox Pulchra, Jeunesse Chamber Choir Vienna.
Recordings or interviews at the radio stations WDR, SWR and DeutschlandRadio (Ger), RAI (Ita), ORF (Aut), SR P2 (Swe), YLE (Fin) as well as RÚV (Isl).
His music has been performed at festivals and concert venues like Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe (Ger), La Biennale di Venezia (Ita), Connect Festival in Malmö (Swe), Darmstadt Summer Course (Ger), Donaueschingen Festival / Off-Concert (Ger), Druskomanija in Lithuania, Echoraum in Vienna (Aut), ECLAT in Stuttgart (Ger), Inter Arts Center in Malmö (Swe), Music and Art Around in Copenhagen (Den), RadioKulturhaus in Vienna, Schömer-Haus in Klosterneuburg / Vienna, Skånes Dansteater in Malmö (Swe), UNM (Young Nordic Music) in Helsinki (Fin) / Copenhagen (Den) / Reykjavík (Isl), Wiener Konzerthaus and Wien Modern (Aut), ISCM World New Music Days, ZKM in Karlsruhe (Ger).

Ansgar Beste's three main concerns in composing are: innovative sounds that bring music history forward, structuring of these sounds to clear processes as well as theatricality that enhances the live experience of music to a more holistic sensory perception.

The work Rituel Bizarre for prepared string orchestra (2008/09) was commissioned by and premiered at the Venice Biennale 2009 and won both the Stuttgart composition prize 2010 (165 entries) and the 2nd price at the Uppsala Composition Competition 2012 in Sweden (21 entries).
The work Pèlerinage Fantastique for prepared string quartet received the ZEITklang 2011 Award in Austria (72 entries) and in 2012 a scholarship from the 46th International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt (130 entries).
In Oct 2011 he was granted the prestigious scholarship Villa Concordia Bamberg from the Free State of Bavaria, in Dec 2011 he was selected for the Tremplin Commission Program of IRCAM and Ensemble intercontemporain in France (167 entries) and in March 2012 he was selected as finalist at the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Germany.


Slogans

"Alienation of the familiar – Extended techniques on well-prepared musical instruments"
"Sustainability – Musical innovation beyond technology"
"Artistic freedom within limits (Art through limitation?) – Unconventionality (exclusively) on conventional musical instruments"
"Complex sounds as historical imperative – Sensitizing the ear to the subtle nuances of timbre"
"Clarity of musical dramaturgy – Timbre as major form-building parameter"
"Music to hear and to see – Theatrical, yet coherent ('absolute'?) for the ear alone"

official website: http://www.ansgarbeste.com/