GUEST ARTIST
Kirsten Milenko (b. 1993) is an Australian composer, conductor and orchestrator based in Paris. Her music embodies acoustic and electronic settings of an immersive and beautifully strange nature. As a conductor, her work began as an extension of composition and has since evolved across a diverse repertoire for concert and stage.
She studied composition at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (MMus) and Sydney Conservatorium of Music (BMus), where she received the 2016 Ignaz Friedman Memorial Prize for excellence in composition. Currently, she is completing the 2022-23 Cursus Program on Composition and Computer Music at IRCAM. Milenko studied orchestral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music on the Sorrell Women Conductors Program, and at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana (CAS) to specialise in contemporary repertoire.
Her compositions have received international premieres by ensembles and orchestras such as: Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Ensemble MusikFabrik, Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, CSO Chamber Ensemble, Ensemblage, Gildas Quartet, Esbjerg Ensemble, Scandinavian Guitar Duo, Adelaide Wind Orchestra. She has premiered her work as a pianist/conductor at: Staatsoper Hamburg Opera Stabile, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Associació Cultural Sa Taronja, and Verbrugghen Hall. In July 2022, she conducted the Lucerne Festival Orchestra to celebrate the first gay wedding in Switzerland at Zürich’s Town Hall.
In 2019, Milenko was awarded the Roche Young Commission by Artistic Director of Lucerne Festival, Wolfgang Rihm. In 2020, her debut opera and dance-theatre piece Dalloway premiered at Pulsar Festival in Copenhagen. She was a participant of the 2020-21 Words and Music Workshop with the Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier, led by Ted Huffman and Sivan Eldar, and attended the Académie du Festival d’Aix with Andrea Breth in 2021.
Her recent work as an orchestrator includes projects such as a series of orchestral remixes of electronic pieces by SØS Gunver Ryberg for the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra at SPOT Festival 2022, and Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture for Mizmorim Festival 2023.
She is an Associate Artist with the Australian Music Centre.
She studied composition at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (MMus) and Sydney Conservatorium of Music (BMus), where she received the 2016 Ignaz Friedman Memorial Prize for excellence in composition. Currently, she is completing the 2022-23 Cursus Program on Composition and Computer Music at IRCAM. Milenko studied orchestral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music on the Sorrell Women Conductors Program, and at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana (CAS) to specialise in contemporary repertoire.
Her compositions have received international premieres by ensembles and orchestras such as: Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Ensemble MusikFabrik, Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, CSO Chamber Ensemble, Ensemblage, Gildas Quartet, Esbjerg Ensemble, Scandinavian Guitar Duo, Adelaide Wind Orchestra. She has premiered her work as a pianist/conductor at: Staatsoper Hamburg Opera Stabile, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Associació Cultural Sa Taronja, and Verbrugghen Hall. In July 2022, she conducted the Lucerne Festival Orchestra to celebrate the first gay wedding in Switzerland at Zürich’s Town Hall.
In 2019, Milenko was awarded the Roche Young Commission by Artistic Director of Lucerne Festival, Wolfgang Rihm. In 2020, her debut opera and dance-theatre piece Dalloway premiered at Pulsar Festival in Copenhagen. She was a participant of the 2020-21 Words and Music Workshop with the Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier, led by Ted Huffman and Sivan Eldar, and attended the Académie du Festival d’Aix with Andrea Breth in 2021.
Her recent work as an orchestrator includes projects such as a series of orchestral remixes of electronic pieces by SØS Gunver Ryberg for the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra at SPOT Festival 2022, and Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture for Mizmorim Festival 2023.
She is an Associate Artist with the Australian Music Centre.
Episode Description
Kirsten Milenko (b. 1993) is an Australian composer, conductor and orchestrator based in Paris. Her music embodies acoustic and electronic settings of an immersive and beautifully strange nature. As a conductor, her work began as an extension of composition and has since evolved across a diverse repertoire for concert and stage.
Takeaways
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What’s Next?!
Thank you for supporting this show by listening and sharing with your friends. If you liked this podcast, please rate and write a review of how this show has helped you. This will help us be able to increase our visibility nationally and in being able to make an impact on the profession.
If you would like to hear more about any specific topics, please email us at [email protected]. I would love to help support your community in all artistic disciplines.
Kristine Dizon
The Modern Artist Project
Takeaways
- Kirsten's unconventional path to composition: She shifted from international relations to music, driven by her passion for playing and improvising on the piano.
- Exploration and finding her voice: Kirsten's composition process involved gradual discovery, moving from improvisation to creating drafts and shaping her pieces by removing unnecessary elements.
- The entrepreneurial side of being a composer: Kirsten emphasized the need to navigate the industry, considering oneself as both an artist and a workplace, addressing aspects like commission rates and score formatting.
- Orchestration skills: Kirsten's natural affinity for orchestration, developed through extensive study, enabled her to adapt compositions to different instrumentations and explore new settings.
- Remixing electronic works for orchestral settings: Kirsten worked on an exciting project, reimagining electronic music using contemporary techniques and creating a new tapestry of sounds.
- Be proactive: Seek opportunities, even if you feel unqualified, and explore different paths to find your own.
- Showcase value: Develop a strong portfolio that highlights your skills and communicates the relevance of your work.
- Expand your horizons: Look beyond your field, find inspiration in other art forms, and learn from diverse trajectories.
- Human connection is key: Cultivate positive relationships, effective communication, and collaboration for a supportive artistic environment.
- Find joy in the process: Enjoy the journey of improvement, exploration, and creating meaningful work.
- Adapt to the industry: Stay open to new possibilities and technology as the music industry evolves.
- Professional attitude: Demonstrate professionalism, effective communication, and positive interactions with colleagues.
- Personal growth over validation: Focus on your own development and fulfillment rather than external recognition.
- Embrace industry diversity: Explore various roles and career paths within the music industry.
- Human connection is key: Cultivate positive relationships, effective communication, and collaboration for a supportive artistic environment.
Social Media
Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
What’s Next?!
Thank you for supporting this show by listening and sharing with your friends. If you liked this podcast, please rate and write a review of how this show has helped you. This will help us be able to increase our visibility nationally and in being able to make an impact on the profession.
If you would like to hear more about any specific topics, please email us at [email protected]. I would love to help support your community in all artistic disciplines.
Kristine Dizon
The Modern Artist Project