HANNE TOFTE JESPERSEN
CURRICULUM VITAE
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HANNE TOFTE JESPERSEN
born 1st May 1956
Composer. Singer, pianist.
Cand.mag. in music (MA) and film/tv(BA) from University of Copenhagen, Institute of Musicology and Institute of Film;
organist from Zealand's School of Church Music
Owner of Music for the Mysteries since 2013.
External evaluator at Artistic Development Project KUV at
SDMK Danish National Academy of Music 2021-24.
Main artist in 'Hvis Landet Kunne Tale / IF THE LAND COULD TALK' in
Roskilde District 2014-17.
Ensemble leader of Music for the Mysteries 2007-14.
Organist and choir master at Ny Vor Frue Church 2001-14.
Ensemble leader of Agoro Band (DK-Ghana) 1995-2003.
Co-leader, intercultural consultant at Agoro Project Ghana
(Danida funded) 1993-99.
Teacher of music and film at Amtsgymnasiet in Roskilde (senior secondary school) 1989-95.
Researcher at University of Copenhagen, Institute for Musicology 1985-88.
CONCERTS
MUSIC FOR THE MYSTERIES
- music for scripts from
Western mystery traditions.
Melangell
The Seven Natures
Vision of Enoch
TRIO UBHAL - trad. folk songs from Scotland, Ireland, Orkney Isles and Irish instrumental dance tunes.
HanneTofteJespersen, vocal, piano
Kuno Kjærbye, violin,
Anders Hvidberg-Hansen, percussion
VIDEO
- ubhal means 'apple' in Scottish Gaelic
with children and professional artists:
FARVESPILLET / THE PLAY OF COLOURS
interactive music tale VIDEO
scored for cl, bs, vl, percussion
and storyteller.
I perform the role of story teller, directing the interactive role of children's audience.
HVIS LANDET KUNNE TALE /
IF THE LAND COULD TALK
- music and visual art's
project for kindergartens
film, audio, visuals at www.hvislandetkunnetale.dk
WHEN THE CARS GOT WINGS - music for children with lyrics by Halfdan Rasmussen
Includes "Bilerne fik vinger / When the cars got wings" and other children's rimes which I have set to music, plus older tunes.
Workshops and concerts for kindergartens and primary schools, programmes with children and parents singing together,
projects with singing and dancing.
Hanne Tofte Jespersen, vocal, piano -
Katrine Suwalski, tenor saxophone -
Anders Hvidberg-Hansen, percussion
and in some projects also involving visual artist Alison MIchell.
INSECTS' WEATHER FORECAST
for children 3-9 yr old.
INSEKTUDSIGTEN is believed to be the first insect's weather forecast ever.
I wrote this storytale in 2003 inspired by my good friend Anders G. who had spent part of his summer studying insects under microscope together with his then small daughter. I started reading about and watching honey bees - it all resulted in this
45 min interactive concert in which the trio has set my storytale to music. Performed live it is an interactive concert,
on CD a radio play in music.
103 live performances in 2004-19,
released on CD in 2006
w/ trio Hanne Tofte Jespersen,
Anders Gerup, Anders Hvidberg-Hansen
INSPIRATIONS
In
my music you may find inspirations from 500 yrs of European classical instrumental traditions, Nordic and British choir music of the 20-21th century, folk tones and vocal traditions from
all over planet Earth,
world music/ ethnic music and dance based on my seven years of stay and work in Ghana - and from absorption in symbolic languages, mythology and Western mystery traditions, of which you may read more here -
PREVIOUS CONCERTS
sacred music:
THE SEVENFOLD PEACE
1 hour sacred concert based on
the Essene Gospel of Peace.
Contemporary and ancient music in interchange with
recitals of this scroll text found by Edmond B.Székely
in the secret archives of the Vatican in the 1920es,
translated by him from Aramaic to English
- which I have translated into Danish.
First performed in Church of Vindinge 2001,
performances in 2002/03:
Church of Ny Vor Frue, Church of Herslev,
The Tarot Festival 2002 in Copenhagen;
Forum for Peace Culture at the Library of Roskilde.
2008: Roskilde Cathedral
w/TRIO:
Hanne Tofte Jespersen, vocal, piano
Anders Gerup, saxophone, clarinet, keyboard
Anders Hvidberg-Hansen, guitar, percussion.
The trio Gerup-Hvidberg-Tofte has also been engaged for a series of innovative church services:
at Himmelev Church 2015-16
in collaboration with vicar Anne-Sophie Olander,
at Roskilde Cathedral 2008-10
in collaboration with vicar Linda Friis Christoffersen.
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world music:
AGORO BAND (Ghana-DK):
roots-music performances with
master drummer Okyerema K. Pra's compositions, arranged for Agoro Band of which I was artistic leader 1995-2003.
Incl. arrangements of traditional music
Featuring: Okyerema K.Pra, Kofi Abaka, Hanne Tofte Jespersen, Michael Kobina Domfeh, Katrine Suwalski,
Anders Hvidberg-Hansen, Anders Gerup, Hans Hvidberg-Hansen
AGORO in the NORTH:
world music with Agoro Band members resident in DK:
Hanne Tofte Jespersen , Michael Kobina Domfeh,
Katrine Suwalski, Anders Hvidberg-Hansen, Anders Gerup and guest artists ( Nana Osibio, Basiro Suso, Mads Hoff a.o.)
WRITINGS - lyrics, storytales, books
Times of unrest - educational material for String Quartet Project, senior secondary school level and audience development. 2020, published online at www.uroligetider.dk
If the Land CouldTalk - lyrics for 40 songs based on children'sstatements during joint walks in their local landscape. 2014-17, published online at www.hvislandetkunnetale.dk
Hosianna - 7 songs for childrens choir (score for choir and combo incl. piano, lyrics and CD, 2008 at edition Dansk Sang. Six are original compositions, five of which are with own lyrics, one is an arrangement and a reproduction in Danish of a traditional Caribian song.
Lyrics for other works for childrens choir :
Da himmelen rørte Jorden / When Heaven touched Earth ( 2006) Rosen i Norden / The Nordic Rose ( 2005).
Insektudsigten - storytale for the concert "Weather forecast for insects (2003, on cd 2006)
Navnefesten / The Naming ceremony - storytale for kindergarden concerts. Levende Musik i Skolen, 2003
Hvis du var Esi Ata / If you were Esi Ata - webbased educational material about daily life of children in modern Ghana and of Ghanaian music.. World.dk/kids and Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke 2000.
Kweku Ananse and the drum - manus and dramaturgy for dance drama, performed during Agoro Festival 1999
Ndama Nkaebo/ Message from the Future - dramaturgy for dance drama, Agoro Center, Ghana, 1997
River Pra - manus and dramaturgy or dance drama, performed during Images of Africa 1996 / Copenhagen City of Culture 96.
Man skal høre meget (ed.) - about learning processes and the role of the teacher in music. Cph., Chr.Ejlers Forlag 1988, 2.edition 1993
FILM & SLIDE SHOWS
Lad trommerne tale / Let the drums talk - DRTV & AGORO in DK, 1998. A 28 min tv-productions on the Agoro Project in Ghana.
Buemageren / The Archmaker - Slides for live concert (same title, 3 performances March 2005).
Agoro. Slide-sound shows, 1993-94.
SELECTED PROJECTS
2022-24: Composer at De Forstummedes Tale / Speech of the Silenced Ones - Cabaret project, scheduled for premiere 6.-8. Spet 2024 at Koncertkapellet as part of this new concert hall's openeing events during 2024.
2021: Residency as composer at the Faroe Islands as part of the festival Nordic Music Days April 2021.
2020-21: Composer at Times of Unrest/ Urolige Tider - Haydn-Tofte Jespersen-Britten string quartet project with Nordic String Quartet and 5 chamber music assosiations; concerts and audience development programmes.
2018-19: Composer at Vibrandring - commissioned by Esbjerg Ensemble in collaboration with Esbjerg and Varde Cultural Schools.
March 2018: Composer at project in Lejre District If our place could talk; for 4-5 yr children, visual artist, cellist.
2017: composer at HAVEN - 3 Fortællinger/ THE GARDEN - 3 TALES for Ensemble Storstrøm and Kulturtjenesten.dk
2016: composer at Åbne Musik-Værk-Steder/ OPEN MUSIC-WORK-PLACES at The Museum of Contemporary Art (DK) Nov. '16.
2014-17: If the Land Could Speak, music & art project for 4-5 yr children; for 48 kindergardens in Roskilde District
2014: Melangell project in Iceland with Music for the Mysteries, South Iceland Chamber Choir, Maria Ellingsen, Stefan Parkman
2012: Collaboration with choreographer Sara Ekman (SE) and scenographer Eva Holten (SE/DK) on Melangell as choreographed concert
2011: The Testimony of Melangell - 1 hour production staged in a visual installation by Alison Michell (UK/DK);
music by Hanne Tofte Jespersen; manus by Mike Harris (UK)
2010: Music for the Mysteries' tour to the Faroe Islands, incl. creation of music for a first extract of The Testimony of Melangell
2010: Bilerne fik vinger - music for Halfdan Rasmussen texts. New project for children in kindergarden and nursery schools.
2008: Musicians in the Museum - a collaboration between Ensemble Music for the Mysteries and 4 Danish museums for Art and Culture on Zealand.
2007: co-organiser of The Tarot Festival 2007
2003: Let’s Play! - idea, production, performance in tour project with Agoro Band in collaboration with Roskilde District and Live Music in Schools.
2002: co-organiser of The Tarot Festival 2002 (sponsored by the Danish Arts Council, Danish Composers Association, Kunstfond, Dkf, Djbfa, Danish Musicians Union, Soloists Association of 1921, the Music Committee of Cph)
2001: 200 years after - idea, production performance in Agoro Band's tour project with school concerts at UNESCO schools in DK (sponsored by DCCD and World Music DK)
2001: Co-founder of the Tarot Festival, forum for spirituality and art
2000: musician, author and facilitator in the educational section of World.dk which presented world music in Danish primary schools, incl. LMS-tour with Agoro Band.
1999: idea, production and arts management of AGORO Festival 99 (touring festival featuring Ghanaian and Danish musicians and dancers, sponsored by Dccd, Dmf, DUF, MS a.o.)
1997/98: producer of tv-film Lad trommerne tale / Let the drums talk on the Agoro Project (for DRTV and Agoro in DK)
1996: dramaturgy for the dance drama River Pra (Copenhagen City of Culture 96 and Images of Africa 96)
Coordinator for Images of Africa 96 in Roskilde
Producer and performing artist in 7 weeks Denmark tour with Cultural TroupTwerammpon Traditionals, Ghana (images of Africa 96)
APPOINTMENTS
2021-24: evaluator at Artistic Research Project (KUV) 'Ways to the future scene o fclassical musicians' at the Danish National Academy of Music SDMK
2015-16 vocal consultant at educational projects on 'singing with kindergarten children' at Roskilde Synger.
from 2008 - conductor of Vor Frues Sangkor (choir)
2001-14: organist and childrens choir master at Ny Vor Frue Kirke
2000: Images of the World; coordinator of the festival's journalist programme
1993-99 Agoro Project: Co-leader 1993-94, intercultural consultant 1994-99 (Danida-sponsored center for music, dance and drama in Ghana), Coordinator for Agoro in Denmark (cultural exchange between DK and Ghana).
1989-97: Music and film teacher at Amtsgymnasiet in Roskilde (senior secondary school) - on leave in 93/94, 95/96 and 96/97 whilst working in Ghana)
1988-89: Editor (the magazines Nyt Aspekt and Opus)
1985-88 researcher (ph.d. level) at the Institute of Musicology, University of Copenhagen
1982-84: teacher of singing at Rødovre Music School
1978-82: teacher of music at Greve Gymnasium
Has taught and lectured at courses, seminars, workshops, conferences for institutions, associations, companies, admistrative agencies, educational institutions in music, the experience of music, music & consciousness, culture & development/ the role of art and culture in development, human resources etc.
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EDUCATIONS
Cand.mag from University of Copenhagen:
Institute of Musicology ( MA in music 1984)
Institute for Film and TV ( BA in film/tv 1992)
Organist from Sjællands Kirkemusikskole/ Zealand's School for Church Music (2004, PO exam).
MEMBER OF DANISH COMPOSERS ASSOCIATION, DANISH MUSICIANS UNION,
IAWM (International Alliance for Women in Music)
HONORARY OFFICES, BOARDS
Chairing the board of Koncertkapellet.
Vice chair person of Danish Musicians Union's Roskilde branch 2016-22. Board member 2010-22.
2018-20 Member of The Danish Arts Foundation's Board of Representatives, appointed by Danish Composers Society.
2001-06: Vice chairman of Roskilde County's Music Council, chairman of the Committee for School Concerts.
2001-07: Chairman of the Tarot Festival.
Previously served as board member of Den Rytmiske Højskole (The Rhythmic Folk High School).
GRANTS, COMMISSIONS
Commissioned works include Danish Composers Society & DR Musikariet; Danish Arts Foundation, festivals, arts institutions, districts, congregation councils, ensembles and soloistst, educational institutions a.o.
Artist in residence (Nordic Music Days 2021); Artist's visiting grants from Nordic Culture Point (2012 to Iceland; 2010 to the Faroe Islands).
Composer's grants from Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society, DJBFA.