Thorsten Encke

“No music is taboo, unless it is boring.” In an interview, composer, conductor and cellist Thorsten Encke gives this advice to anyone who is flirting with the idea of “inventing” new music. Encke has obviously made the motto his own. In 2005 his String Quartet No. 1 won the renowned Pablo Casals Festival Competition in Prades, France. “The work’s 24 minutes go by in a flash, which proves that the sections are well-proportioned” (Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung).
Thorsten Encke studied music in Hannover and Los Angeles. In 1995 he received his Konzertexamen degree in cello. Since then he has amassed a wide range of experience in every domain of classical music: he has made appearances with several chamber music ensembles, and has perfected his knowledge of orchestra and opera repertoire as a member of several orchestras. In Hannover, Thorsten Encke founded the musica assoluta project, which has seen the participation of a number of young musicians who are now prominent in their field. Under Encke’s direction, the ensemble performs regular concerts with exciting programming in a variety of instrumental combinations.  During the past ten years, Thorsten Encke has increasingly devoted his energies to composition, producing a remarkable oeuvre that comprises almost all musical genres: solo pieces, chamber music, vocal repertoire, choir pieces, music theatre, and works for full orchestra.
© Norbert Ely