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Jørgen Jersild

composer
1913
2004

Jørgen Jersild was one of the most French-oriented composers ever in Denmark, one of the most elegant and tasteful, and unfortunately also a composer who has not written much. Jørgen Jersild studied with Schierbeck and Roussel. With his Trois pièces En Concert he wrote his artistic credo in 1944, in favour of music that was sensual, elegant, French classicist, concertante in style.

Jørgen Jersild had an intimate relationship with the harp, and those of his works that use this instrument (not least the Harp Concerto of 1972, Concerto per arpa e orchestra) are among his most important. In addition he has composed a number of now-classic pieces for choir, as well as chamber music, songs and music for the theatre, TV, radio, and films (e.g. Carl Theodor Dreyer's last film, Gertrud, from 1964).

Jørgen Jersild was a professor of music theory and ear training at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen, and he has written music theory and musical textbooks which have become standard works in Denmark.

In the year of 1995 Jørgen Jersild was appointed Danish Choir Composer of the Year and in 1999 he was honoured with the award of the Carl Nielsen-legat.

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