Ib Nørholm

Ib Nørholm (born January 24, 1931 in Søborg, Copenhagen) is a Danish composer and organist.

Nørholm studied with Vagn Holmboe at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he later taught (from 1973), becoming a professor in 1981. Among the honours Nørholm has received are the Gaudeamus International Composers Award in 1964, the Carl Nielsen Prize in 1971 and a knighthood in 1981.

Initially, Nørholm's music was very much in the tradition of Carl Nielsen, as exemplified by his first symphony (1956-8). In the 1960s, however, Nørholm began to explore the possibilities of serialism and graphic scores. Later still his music took on a more economical approach, often characterised by the term 'new simplicity'.

Compositions by Nørholm include the opera "The Young Park" (1969-70), "Symphony No. 3" (1973), sonatas for accordion (1967) and guitar (1976), "Idylles d'Apocalypse" for organ and orchestra (1980), "Symphony No. 5 'The Elements' "(1980), "Immanence" for solo flute (1983), "Aspects of Sand and Simplicity" for string orchestra (1987), a symphonic fantasy "Hearing Andersen" (1987), and the choral work "Sjaelfuld Sommer" (1997).

In addition to his activities as a composer, Nørholm is a prolific music critic and choral conductor.

elected works

Orchestral music

*Ten symphonies (1956-58, 1968-71, 1973, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1981, 1982, 1990, 1990, 1998)
*Concerto for violin and orchestra (1974)
*Concerto for cello and orchestra (1989)

Chamber music

*"Mosaic: Recitative Fragments", op. 15 (1959) for flute, violin, viola and cello
*"Varianter", op. 19 (1959) for violin and piano
*"Præludium til min vintermorgen" ("Prelude to my Winter Morning"), op. 52 (1971) for flute, violin, viola, cello and piano
*"Kontrast-Kontinuum", op. 70 (1977) for flute quartet
*"Så at sige" ("So to Say"), op. 74 (1978) for flute and percussion
*"Essai prismatique", op. 77 (1979) for violin, cello and piano
*"Before Silence", op. 83 (1980) for flute trio
*"Den ortodokse drøm" ("The Orthodox Dream"), op. 92 (1984) for flute, cello and harpsichord
*"Medusa's Shadow", op. 105 (1987) for flute, guitar, viola and cello
*Saxophone Quartet (1992)
*"Nu og Da" (2000-01) for voices and string quartet
*"Jubilate Deo in Primavere" (2005) for flute, saxophone and percussion

olo instrumental music

*Sonata No. 1, op. 69 (1976) for guitar
*"Turbulens-Laminar", op. 93 (1984) for piano
*Sonata No. 2, op. 110 (1989) for guitar
*"A Song of Breath and Wings" (2002) for clarinet