About
Marie Sønderksov
Exploiting the endless possibilities for producing sound with her instrument, Marie Sønderskov cultivates the beauty of the unknown. Working with internationally-acclaimed composers, she has premiered pieces for solo flute in venues all over the world, including in Japan, USA and Iceland. Sønderskov also regularly participates in collaborations with artists which combine diverse art forms with music, performance art and improvisations. Marie Sønderskov enjoys working with in multiple musical genres and she has performed with numerous world-music specialists on a variety of instruments.
As a composer, soundscapes and folk music traditions using extended techniques are core in Marie Sønderskov’s music. Compositions include works for flute ensemble: “The Lost Forest” which was premiered at RAMA Festival 2022 and “Saltøje” which was premiered at Lincoln Crossroads Music Festival, Nebraska, USA in 2019. Marie Sønderskov released a solo album entitled “Requiem for Dying Species” (read review in Flutist Quarterly here). Other compositions include “Whispering Clouds” for flute and video projection, which was premiered in Olafsfjordur, Iceland in 2017.
Marie Sønderskov is a founding member of the new music quartet, NJYD, which has commissioned a large catalogue of music, and serves as an unofficial ambassador for Nordic composers. NJYD also engages regularly in multi-media collaborations, improvisations, and lectures and workshops.
Drawing on extensive travels and exploration of traditional music and genres, she is developing original music together with her husband, bassist and gambist Erik Higgins, in preparation for a debut album.
Marie Sønderskov is an active solo and chamber musician. She has appeared as a soloist with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and has played in venues across the world including the Musikverein in Vienna and Carnegie Hall in New York. She has also performed in numerous music festivals including the Mata Festival in New York (USA), the Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival (USA), Musical Été a Sevrey (FR), GAS Festival (S), Klangspuren Festival (AT) and SPOR Festival (DK).
Marie Sønderskov graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, Denmark with a Soloist degree in 2017, master degree 2013 and bachelor degree 2010, having studied with Thomas Jensen and Lena Kildahl. During this time, she was also an exchange student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki studying with Petri Alanko and at Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo studying with Kazushi Saito. She has participated in numerous masterclasses and festivals including International Ensemble Modern Academy (AT), SICPP Contemporary Music Festival (USA) Académie Internationale d'Eté de Nice (FR) Gubbio Summer Festival (I) and Pablo Casals Festival (FR).