René Mogensen

composer

René Mogensen is currently engaged in a PhD research project in composition and technology at the Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK. He earned his BA from the University of Rochester, with studies at Eastman School of Music, and his MA in Music from New York University, USA. He later took a Master of Electronic Music Composition from the Royal Academy in Aarhus, Denmark. His compositional output spans a broad spectrum of music, and includes interactive multimedia chamber music for soloists and chamber ensembles and orchestras. The 2011 CD and online release The New Arpeggione, Walls of Nicosia on the Belgian Contréclisse label, includes three new works for instruments from the 1820s with interactive computer music, featuring Nicolas Deletaille (arpeggione) and Alain Roudier (fortepiano).

Premieres of new works in 2012 include concert performances of The Ghost of Judith with Olivia Hinman (sprano) and computer at the Birmingham Conservatoire; Black and White for 14 musicians, performed by Niels Gerhart's New Music Orchestra in Hillerød, DK; three recent works for organ solo will be premiered by Flemming Christian Hansen in Sakskøbing ChurchSatie's Lullaby: Satie's Lullaby, September Fanfare, and October Prelude Two. Other projects in 2012 include new work in Aalborg's Open Days Festival (DK), and a recording of two works for trombone, organ and computer, with Niels-Ole Bo Johansen and Ulrik Spang Hanssen at the Royal Academy in Denmark.

Recent premieres include Views from Plato's Cave for trombone and computer, first performed by Niels-Ole Bo Johansen in Musikhuset Aarhus. Johansen also conducted the premiere of Hephaistos Goes Jogging for brass ensemble and computer with DJM Brass in the concert hall in Aarhus. In March 2010 René was a composer in residence at EMU in Cyprus, where Philippe Saucez premiered René's work Details of Spaces for clarinet and computer in the Festival of New Music, which also included the premiere of René's Details of Colors for trio and computer.

Recent recording releases of René's compositions include the Video-DVD of Nicolas Deletaille performing All Numbers Language, a 40 minute multimedia work which also toured in Italy, Denmark and Cyprus, notably at the Nordic Music days festival in Copenhagen 2010. René has a series of recent releases through iTunes including Niels-Ole Bo Johansen performing Ares Dreams of Love, and Marianne Leth performing WARNING: Flute at Large, and more titles are upcoming on iTunes and other online stores. René's work is released on several labels including Capstone Records, Wassard, and WetCashRecords in New York, DR Focus Records and AV-Art Records in Denmark, Contréclisse in Belgium, and Hwa-Eum Records and Notation Records in South Korea.

René has completed several commissions for Danish Public Radio and other European stations. He has created new works during residencies at STEIM, Logos, DIEM, CCM Mills College, and other music & technology research centers. He has created music for modern dance choreographers, including Renata Celichowska, Louise Klixbüll and Douglas Dunn in New York City. René has also created music for multimedia theater productions in Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy and Denmark in recent years.

René is the recipient of awards for his work from foundations including the Eubie Blake Fund, Meet the Composer USA, the John Anson Kittredge Fund, the Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music, the Danish Music Council, Danish Composers' Society, the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, and the Danish Institute for Electroacoustic Music.