Thorwald Jørgensen — thereminist (Netherlands)
Thorwald Jørgensen is known as one of the leading classical theremin players in the world. After graduating from the conservatory he quickly established himself as one of the most prominent players of the instrument and made a full time career of playing the instrument. Since the playing technique also resembles that of a string instrument, Thorwald was coached by Saskia Boon, former cellist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Having a busy concert schedule, Thorwald has played to great reviews as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestral thereminist in Europe, both North and South America, Canada, Asia and Russia. Canadian composer Simon Bertrand has composed a theremin concerto dedicated to Thorwald, which he premiered with the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montréal in February 2023.
Besides these concerts, Thorwald also performed for radio and television and played at festivals, like: Ravinia Festival (USA), Festival Classique (NL), Bach Festival (NL), Without Touch (DE), Hands Off (UK), Node (CH), Music and Beyond (CA), Festival Electromagnética Santiago (CL), International Film Festival Rotterdam / IFFR (NL), Gaudeamus Music Week (NL), Lunigiana International Music Festival (IT), Havana Biennial (CU), MAG Festival (HR), Festival Ars Musica Bruxelles (BE), Klassifest (NL), Festival Montréal/Nouvelles Musiques (CA), Fête de la Musique Geneva (CH), Bregenz Festspiele (AU) and the Thereminology Festival in Moscow and St Petersburg (RU). He was also invited as a guest teacher/lecturer/performer at renowned institutions like the Conservatory of Amsterdam (NL), Rotterdam (NL), St. Petersburg (RU), Nizhny Novgorod (RU), Stanford University (USA), Harvard University (USA) and the University of Havana (CU).
Thorwald played as a soloist with numerous orchestras around the world, such as Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland, Brussels Philharmonic, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, Zeeland Symphony Orchestra, Opera2Day, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Antalya Symphony Orchestra, Thirteen Strings Ottawa, Les Violons du Roy, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, Bursa State Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonie, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Bremen Philharmonic, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Detmold Symphonisches Orchester, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Izmir Symphony Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey.
As a chamber musician Thorwald works with both pianist Kamilla Bystrova and the German ensemble for contemporary music ‘Ensemble Experimental’ (ENEX). Together with the Detmold Symphony Orchestra, he recorded Detlef Heusinger’s opera Die Zeitreise-Maschine. He also is featured in several movie soundtracks.
Thorwald is an advocate for new theremin repertoire and composers from all over the world have written pieces for him. Together with pianist Kamilla Bystrova, Thorwald recorded the album Air Électrique, featuring the premiere recording of Lera Auerbach’s Ten Preludes for Theremin and Piano, which was received with great acclaim.
Thorwald currently plays an Etherwave Pro MOOG theremin.