THORWALD JØRGENSEN

Thorwald Jørgensen is known as one of the leading classical theremin players in the world. After graduating from the conservatory he quickly established himself as one of the most prominent players of the instrument and made a full time career of playing the instrument. Since the playing technique also resembles that of a string instrument, Thorwald was coached by Saskia Boon, former cellist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

 

Having a busy concert schedule, Thorwald has played to great reviews in all continents except for Antarctica. Canadian composer Simon Bertrand composed a theremin concerto for Thorwald, which he premiered with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. He performed with the Lviv National Orchestra of Ukraine as a part of the project ‘Muses are not Silent’, in supporting the people of Ukraine during wartime. Thorwald played the world premiere of Lera Auerbach’s ‘Flights of the Angakok’ for theremin, percussion, piano and choir with the Dutch Chamber Choir. He also premiered her symphony ‘Arctica’ for theremin, piano, choir and orchestra with MDR Leipzig Choir and Orchestra. In Paris, Thorwald premiered ‘The Day the Little Green Men didn’t Attack Earth’ for solo theremin and winds, by French composer Maxine Aulio with the Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris.

 

Besides these concerts, Thorwald also performed for radio and television and played at festivals, like: Ravinia Festival (USA), Festival Classique (NL), Bach Festival (NL), Without Touch (DE), Hands Off (UK), Node (CH), Music and Beyond (CA), Festival Electromagnética Santiago (CL), International Film Festival Rotterdam / IFFR (NL),  Gaudeamus Music Week (NL), Lunigiana International Music Festival (IT),  Havana Biennial (CU), Ultraschall Berlin (D), MAG Festival (HR),  Festival Ars Musica Bruxelles (BE), Klassifest (NL), Lunigiana International Music Festival (IT), Rio Harp Festival (BR) Festival Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques (CA), Fête de la Musique Geneva (CH), Bregenz Festspiele (AT), Ultraschall Berlin (D) and the Thereminology Festival in Moscow and St Petersburg (RU). He was also invited as a guest teacher/lecturer/performer at renowned institutions like the Conservatory of Amsterdam (NL), Rotterdam (NL), St. Petersburg (RU), Nizhny Novgorod (RU), Stanford University (USA), Harvard University (USA) and the University of Havana (CU).

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Thorwald played as a soloist with numerous orchestras and choirs around the world, such as  Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland, Dutch Radio Philharmonic, Dutch Chamber Choir, Deutsches Symfonie-Orchester (DSO), Brussels Philharmonic, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Choir, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Zeeland Symphony Orchestra, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Antalya Symphony Orchestra, Thirteen Strings Ottawa, Les Violons du Roy, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Bursa State Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonie, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, Bremen Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Detmold Symphonisches Orchester, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Izmir Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey.

 

As a chamber musician Thorwald works with both pianist Kamilla Bystrova and the German ensemble for contemporary music ‘Ensemble Experimental’ (ENEX). Together with the Detmold Symphony Orchestra, he recorded Detlef Heusinger’s opera Die Zeitreise-Maschine. He also is featured in several movie soundtracks.

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Thorwald is an advocate for new theremin repertoire and composers from all over the world have written pieces for him. Together with pianist Kamilla Bystrova, Thorwald recorded the albums Air Électrique, featuring the premiere recording of Lera Auerbach’s Ten Preludes for Theremin and Piano, which was received with great acclaim. The duo went on to record their second album Nuit Exotique with works by Ravel, Messiaen and Bosmans.

 

Thorwald currently plays an Etherwave Pro MOOG theremin.