Fabian Svensson (1980-)
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Born in Stockholm in 1980. Studied at the College of Music in Piteå in 1999-2001 and at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 2001-2005. Exchange student at Koninklijk Conservatorium in the Hague in 2002-2003. Främst verksam inom kammarmusik. Shortlisted for the Gaudeamus prize in 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2010.
The music of Swedish composer Fabian Svensson has been described by the New York Times as "dazzling" and by the Los Angeles Times as "an odd merger of Bartók and Radiohead." He strives to create works integrating such seemingly disparate qualities as incessant energy, austere beauty and wry humour. Unusual instrumentations are a recurring feature of Fabian's music—his work list includes a ukulele duo; a piece for saxophone quartet and four electric guitars; and a piece for eight melodicas, hi-hat and bass. In his hour-long work Tillvaratagna effekter he reinvents the violin concerto, with sopranino recorders, melodicas, electric guitars, bass guitars, and timpani backing up the soloist.
Fabian's music has been performed at venues ranging from obscure garages to the Sydney Opera House, and has been featured at festivals such as MATA, SONiC, Carlsbad Music Festival, Denison TUTTI, Forum Wallis, Sound of Stockholm, Nordic Music Days, and ISCM World New Music Days. His works have been performed by ensembles such as Calder Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Ensemble Klang, Ensemble Offspring, Sentieri Selvaggi, the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, and many others. Born in 1980, Fabian studied composition at the Piteå College of Music, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, with among others Pär Lindgren, Jan Sandström and Martijn Padding. He has also attended workshops such as the Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands; the Bang on a Can Summer Institute in North Adams, Massachusetts; and the Ostrava Days Institute in the Czech Republic. He has been shortlisted for the prestigious Gaudeamus Award four times, and has received grants from the Society of Swedish Composers, the Swedish Performing Rights Society, and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
His piece Toy Toccata, for solo toy piano, has been recorded by Phyllis Chen for her album Little Things (New Focus Recordings/Naxos). Scores to Fabian's music are published by The Swedish Music Information Centre, BabelScores (Paris), and Abundant Silence (Denver).
Summary list of works
Chamber music (Two Sides for ensemble, Singing and Dancing for string quartet, Toy Toccata for toy piano, I samexistens for saxophone quartet and 4 electric guitars, Symphonies of Toy Instruments for toy instrument ensemble, Plink Plonk for violin etc.)
