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Concert Organist - History

Frederik Magle began playing the pipe organ at the age of 9 and started taking lessons with professor Ib Bindel from the age of 10.

As an international concert organist he has given hundreds of recitals in Denmark and abroad. A small selection:

- Saint Peter's basilica, Vatican, Rome
- St. George Chapel, Windsor Castle
- Riga Cathedral, Latvia
- Niguliste Church, Tallinn, Estonia
- Barcelona Cathedral, Spain
- Danish National Radio Concert Hall
- Aarhus Cathedral, Denmark
- Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, Poland
- Temppeliaukio Church, Finland

As a soloist in concertos with orchestra, Frederik Magle has played with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Riga Philharmonic Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, South Jutland Symphony Orchestra, Zürcher Kammerorchester and many other orchestras and ensembles. He has also performed with many outstanding soloists, amongst them the violinist Nikolaj Znaider.

Frederik Magle has been invited to play at royal occasions and concerts several times by the Danish Royal Family.

In 1994 (at the age of 16) he won the Danish national finals of the Eurovision Young Musicians competition and made it through the international semi-finals to the finals in Warsaw, where he reached a 4th place, performing Francis Poulenc's Organ Concerto with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. The Finale concert was broadcasted to a worldwide audience of more than 100,000,000 television-viewers. Frederik Magle is the only concert organist to have ever reached the finals.

Frederik Magle is also involved in the construction of new pipe organs and has created the stop-list and tonal design for a new organ in Jørlunde church, Denmark. You can read an essay about the new pipe organ here.

Frederik Magle in front of a pipe organ
Frederik Magle in front of the organ in Jørlunde church

Audio Samples

Some examples of Frederik Magle playing his own works on the pipe organ:

Other Works for Organ
(Click on the links for more information and free MP3 download):


  • Symphony for Organ No. 2 »Let there be Light«

  • Cantilena - improvisation

  • Dance of the Planets - improvisation

  • Music for Brass and Organ


    Organ Repertoire

    Though Frederik Magle put a lot of emphasis on composing and improvising, as a concert organist he has a broad repertoire ranging from J.S.Bach to contemporary composers, but with focus on romantic and modern music. Besides his own music, here is an excerpt of the repertoire:

    - J.S.Bach: Various works
    - W.A.Mozart: The Church Sonatas (organ & chamber orchestra)
    - César Franck: Various works
    - Max Reger: Various works
    - Various transcriptions by Edwin H. Lemare (among others: »Ride of the Valkyries« by Richard Wagner)
    - Francis Poulenc: Concerto for Organ and Orchestra (string orchestra and timpani)
    - Olivier Messiaen: Various works
    - Maurice Duruflé: Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain
    - and several contemporary works by various composers

    Besides »classical« organ works, Frederik Magle is also involved both as organist and composer in many experimental projects using the pipe organ in new and alternative ways. Amongst them a cooperation with the renowned jazz saxophonist John Tchicai mixing jazz music with contemporary classical music in a genre also known as     »crossover music« (or »fusion«).

    Contact

    For further information and booking enquiries please use the following contact form:

      Contact (Email) for more information and booking

      Reviews of Like a Flame


      »...Magle's music-making is highly creative, sometimes visionary.«


      »...The disc ends with a marvellous Widor-like toccata, 'Ascending', followed by the almost extra-terrestrial 'End of the Circle'.

      It is this kind of intelligent variation which characterises the whole programme - dramatic window-rattlers alternating with pieces that are serenely uplifting or contemplative and others again that are mischievously eccentric or playful. To complement this there is also a steady flow of ideas, expertly implemented, within the improvisations themselves.

      At no point in the two hours is the listener's attention given cause to flag; yet the music is often so emotionally intense that, between discs, a cup of tea at the very least is advisable.«


      »...this is a double CD that no fan of original organ music should be without.«

        - MusicWeb International (UK)


      »...organ virtuoso«

      »...fairytale world of sounds (...) that evoke images of towering pipes in Gothic cathedrals«

      - SNYK Contemporary Music (Denmark)


      »...He is a composer/player of great depth - his instrument is the organ which he dominates with the control of an ubermeister.«

      »...a recording of absolutely top value«

      - Abi Rhodes' Zigzag Wanderings (UK)

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