Ib Norholm

Ib Nørholm (born January 24, 1931 in Søborg, Copenhagen) is a Danish composer and organist.

Nørholm studied with Vagn Holmboe at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he later taught (from 1973), becoming a professor in 1981. Among the honours Nørholm has received are the Carl Nielsen Prize in 1971 and a knighthood in 1981.

Initially, Nørholm's music was very much in the tradition of Carl Nielsen, as exemplified by his first symphony (1956-8). In the 1960s, however, Nørholm began to explore the possibilities of serialism and graphic scores. Later still his music took on a more economical approach, often characterised by the term 'new simplicity'.

Compositions by Nørholm include the opera The Young Park (1969-70), Symphony No. 3 (1973), sonatas for accordion (1967) and guitar (1976), Idylles d'Apocalypse for organ and orchestra (1980), Symphony No. 5 'The Elements' (1980), Immanence for solo flute (1983), Aspects of Sand and Simplicity for string orchestra (1987), a symphonic fantasy Hearing Andersen (1987), and the choral work Sjaelfuld Sommer (1997).

In addition to his activities as a composer, Nørholm is a prolific music critic and choral conductor.

Selected works

Orchestral music
Ten symphonies (1956-58, 1968-71, 1973, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1981, 1982, 1990, 1990, 1998)
Concerto for violin and orchestra (1974)
Concerto for cello and orchestra (1989)

Chamber music
Mosaic: Recitative Fragments, op. 15 (1959) for flute, violin, viola and cello
Varianter, op. 19 (1959) for violin and piano
Præludium til min vintermorgen (Prelude to my Winter Morning), op. 52 (1971) for flute, violin, viola, cello and piano
Kontrast-Kontinuum, op. 70 (1977) for flute quartet
Så at sige (So to Say), op. 74 (1978) for flute and percussion
Essai prismatique, op. 77 (1979) for violin, cello and piano
Before Silence, op. 83 (1980) for flute trio
Den ortodokse drøm (The Orthodox Dream), op. 92 (1984) for flute, cello and harpsichord
Medusa's Shadow, op. 105 (1987) for flute, guitar, viola and cello
Saxophone Quartet (1992)
Nu og Da (2000-01) for voices and string quartet
Jubilate Deo in Primavere (2005) for flute, saxophone and percussion

Solo instrumental music
Sonata No. 1, op. 69 (1976) for guitar
Turbulens-Laminar, op. 93 (1984) for piano
Sonata No. 2, op. 110 (1989) for guitar
A Song of Breath and Wings (2002) for clarinet