Erik Højsgaard

Erik Højsgaard is a Danish composer and professor emeritus, celebrated for his long-standing teaching career at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. A student of Per Nørgård, he studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus from 1973 to 1978, earning his diploma in 1978. He later pursued further studies in ear training and solfège at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, completing a second diploma in 1984. Højsgaard taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1982 to 2022 – first as assistant professor (1988–2001), then as professor (2002–2022), and now holds the title of professor emeritus.

His compositions have gained international recognition and have been featured at renowned festivals and broadcast around the world. He was composer-in-residence with the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra (2003–04), and has held numerous leadership and board positions in Danish and Nordic music institutions. He is a recipient of the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation Prize.

Højsgaard’s music is marked by a lyrical and atmospheric quality that makes it readily approachable. Yet, beneath its expressive surface lies a finely crafted structure, reflecting his deep commitment to the technical and formal intricacies of composition.