Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Norway

Birth

:

January 6, 1922 in Oslo, Norway

Death

:

May 21, 1983 in Oslo, Norway

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Finn Mortensen was a Norwegian composer who was born on December 12, 1922, in Bergen, Norway. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father, Eivind Mortensen, was a composer and conductor, and his mother, Ingeborg Mortensen, was a pianist. Finn Mortensen showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at a young age. Mortensen studied music at the Bergen Conservatory and later at the Oslo Conservatory. He also studied composition with the renowned composer Aaron Copland at Tanglewood in the United States. Mortensen's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style of composers such as Stravinsky and Hindemith. In the 1950s, Mortensen became interested in electronic music and began experimenting with tape recorders and other electronic equipment. He was one of the first composers in Norway to work with electronic music, and his works in this genre are considered groundbreaking. Mortensen's compositions are characterized by their use of unconventional sounds and techniques. He often used extended techniques on traditional instruments, such as playing the strings of a piano with a bow or using a glass rod to play the strings of a guitar. He also incorporated non-musical sounds into his compositions, such as the sound of a train whistle or the noise of a factory. One of Mortensen's most famous works is "Canzona per orchestra" (1953), which is a neoclassical piece for orchestra. The work is characterized by its use of counterpoint and its rhythmic complexity. Another notable work is "Epitaffio per orchestra" (1958), which is a somber and introspective piece for orchestra. Mortensen's electronic works include "Horisont" (1960), which is a piece for tape that incorporates sounds from nature, such as bird calls and waves crashing on the shore. Another electronic work is "Komposisjon nr. 2" (1961), which is a piece for tape that uses manipulated sounds from a piano. Mortensen was also a teacher and taught composition at the Bergen Conservatory from 1956 to 1987. He was a mentor to many young composers and was known for his supportive and encouraging teaching style. Mortensen received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the Norwegian Music Critics' Award in 1961 and the Lindeman Prize in 1972. He was also awarded the King's Medal of Merit in gold in 1987. Finn Mortensen died on December 10, 1983, in Bergen, Norway. He is remembered as one of Norway's most important composers and a pioneer in the field of electronic music. His works continue to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

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