Life
Frederik Magle was born in Stubbekøbing, the son of actress and writer Mimi Heinrich and organist, painter and sculptor Christian Reesen Magle (1925–96). He is the great-nephew of the composer Emil Reesen (his grandmother's brother). Recognized early as a child prodigy, he appeared on television and in the news media at the age of 9. He has gained a reputation as an organ virtuoso.
Magle was educated as a private student of Leif Thybo (composition and music theory), and Ib Bindel (organ). He was taught piano, score reading, and music theory from the age of six. At the age of 16, he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he was taught music theory by Yngve Jan Trede, but after one and a half years he decided to leave the music academy, explaining that he "could not both study at the conservatory and work independently as a composer at the same time." He later stated that the decision "was difficult, and there was a lot to think through," but that he did not regret it.
He received the scholarship of countess Erna Hamilton in 1993. In 1994, as an organ soloist, he won the Danish qualification rounds and final of the Eurovision Young Musicians competition and reached the European final, which was held at the Philharmonic Concert Hall in Warsaw, Poland on 14 June 1994. The Polish organizers originally planned the qualifying round to be held elsewhere, but moved it to the Philharmonic Hall (which contains a pipe organ) to accommodate Frederik Magle's participation.
Magle's father died in 1996, shortly before the first performance of Frederik Magle's Christmas cantata A newborn child, before eternity, God!, which is dedicated to him. Magle was awarded the Freemason's Arts Prize in 2001.
He has said that he often gets his ideas in dreams and always have a notebook next to him when he sleeps, in case he gets an idea for a "musical phrase or an orchestral build-up" during the night.
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