Fredrik Ullén
Encyclopedia
Fredrik Ullén is a Swedish
pianist. He has made recordings for the BIS, BMG Classics, Caprice, Danacord, dbProductions, and Phono Suecia labels.
He was born in 1968 in Västerås
. He studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where his teachers included Gunnar Hallhagen and Irène Mannheimer. Later studies at the Sibelius Academy
in Helsinki included work with Liisa Pohjola.
His solo recordings include Ligeti
's complete works for piano, a collection of Chopin
transcriptions, and as of May 2006, the first CD in a planned complete cycle of Sorabji's
Études transcendantes (100). His first volume of Ligeti's piano works, released in 1996, contained the premiere recording of Ligeti's Book II piano etudes. His complete recording of Sorabji's Études transcendantes (100), if finished, will be the first.
On his website, Ullén mentions a particular interest in contemporary music, as well as music of a complex nature. Examples of highly complex (and extremely technically demanding) music in Ullén's repertoire include the etudes by Ligeti and Sorabji, as well as American composer George Flynn's
two hour cycle Trinity. His recordings have received high acclaim from critics.
Future recording projects mentioned on his website include the complete piano works of Alfred Schnittke
, Arvo Pärt
, and Charles Ives
.
In addition to his career as a performer, he is involved in scientific research on music and the brain. Since 2010, he has been Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pianist. He has made recordings for the BIS, BMG Classics, Caprice, Danacord, dbProductions, and Phono Suecia labels.
He was born in 1968 in Västerås
Västerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
. He studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where his teachers included Gunnar Hallhagen and Irène Mannheimer. Later studies at the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
in Helsinki included work with Liisa Pohjola.
His solo recordings include Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
's complete works for piano, a collection of Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
transcriptions, and as of May 2006, the first CD in a planned complete cycle of Sorabji's
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...
Études transcendantes (100). His first volume of Ligeti's piano works, released in 1996, contained the premiere recording of Ligeti's Book II piano etudes. His complete recording of Sorabji's Études transcendantes (100), if finished, will be the first.
On his website, Ullén mentions a particular interest in contemporary music, as well as music of a complex nature. Examples of highly complex (and extremely technically demanding) music in Ullén's repertoire include the etudes by Ligeti and Sorabji, as well as American composer George Flynn's
George Flynn
George Flynn is a distinguished American composer and pianist. Born in Montana in 1937, he grew up in Montana and Washington. He studied and taught at Columbia University, New York City, and from 1977 to 2001 headed the Department of Composition at DePaul University in Chicago. His works cover a...
two hour cycle Trinity. His recordings have received high acclaim from critics.
Future recording projects mentioned on his website include the complete piano works of Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
, Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
, and Charles Ives
Charles Ives
Charles Edward Ives was an American modernist composer. He is one of the first American composers of international renown, though Ives' music was largely ignored during his life, and many of his works went unperformed for many years. Over time, Ives came to be regarded as an "American Original"...
.
In addition to his career as a performer, he is involved in scientific research on music and the brain. Since 2010, he has been Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska institutet is a medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area, Sweden, and one of Europe's largest medical universities...
.