Lotte Anker. Soprano- alto- and tenorsaxophone. Composer.
Lotte Anker is born 1958 in Copenhagen. As a child and young she studied classical piano but took up the saxophone and improvised music in 1980, primarily influenced through the music of John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter but also the more experimental jazzscene in Scandinavia at that time.
She studied music at the Copenhagen University from 1980-84 and in the 80’ties par- ticipated in several courses and workshops lead by e.g.: Joe Henderson, David Liebman, John Tchicai, Marilyn Mazur, David Murray.
As a composer she is mostly selftaught but has a degree in composition from
Rhytmic Music Conservatory, Cph. Compositionclass led by Bob Brookmeyer and with assisting guest teachers Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgren, Svend Hvidtfeldt-Nielsen ao.
In 1988 she formed her own quartet with pianoplayer Mette Petersen:Lotte Anker/
Mette Petersen Quartet. In 92 the quartet transformed into a quintet with Norwegian trumpetplayer Nils-Petter Molvær.
In 95 she became a member of the free improvising trio Anker,Friis,Poulsen (with Hasse Poulsen, guitar and Peter Friis-Nielsen: bass)
1996-2013 co-leader (together w/ trombonist/composer Ture Larsen) of the 12-piece orchestra Copenhagen Art Ensemble. Cph. Art Ensemble is performing new music and besides playing new Danish music, the band has done projects/tours with e.g.: Tim Berne, Django Bates, John Tchicai, Marilyn Mazur, The Zapolski Quartet, Mats Gustafsson, Marc Ducret.
In 97 L. Anker formed a trio with Marilyn Crispell and Marilyn Mazur. The collaboration with M. Crispell continued through the years as duo, trio and quartet.
In 2003 the trio : anker,taborn,cleaver was formed with pianoplayer Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver.
In 2006 the quintet Sonographic July (LA, Tim Berne, altosax, Sylvie Courvoisier, pno, Ikue Mori, electr, Tom Rainey, dr) was established and also a trio: Anker, Courvoisier, Mori.
2010 Commission for Huddersfield Contemporary Musicfestival & Wundergrund Festival which resulted in the forming of the 8-piece-group: What River Ensemble. WRE includes: Phil Minton, LA, Anna Klett, Garth Knox, Jesper Egelund, Fred Frith/Kim Myhr, Ikue Mori & Chris Cutler.
2015 Commission Donaueschinger Musiktage/SWR: Habitat 1 & 2.
Acoustic Habitat: LA, Sofia Jernberg, Sten Sandell
Electric Habitat: LA, Sofia Jernberg, Sten Sandell, Thomas Lehn, Ikue Mori, Michael Vorfeld.
2016 Commission Gong Tomorrow Festival, DK: Electric Habitat/Wandern
Electric Habitat: LA, Sofia Jernberg, Sten Sandell, Thomas Lehn, Ikue, Mori, Michael Vorfeld, Burkhard Beins.
Other own groups, collaborations and bands
Other recent (since 2012) group collaborations : Anker, Leandre, Strid (w/ Joelle Leandre & Raymond Strid), Quartet (w/ Johannes Bauer, Clayton Thomas, Paul Lovens). Anker, Frith,Mori (w/ Fred Frith & Ikue Mori) and duo w/ Fred Frith.
Projects/collaborations/tours with Peter Brötzmann, Miya Masaoka, Michael Formanek, Tim Berne, Evan Parker, Marc Ducret, Joelle Leandre, Mat Maneri, Raymond Strid, Paal Nilssen-Love, Herb Robertson, Arve Henriksen, Anders Jormin, Sten Sandell, Andrew Cyrille, Benoit Delbecq, Wilbert de Joode, Thomas Lehn, Paul Lovens, Okkyung Lee, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Axel Dörner, Ute Wasserman, Andrea Parkins, Mazen Kerbaj, Magda Mayas, Tony Buck, Michael Zerang ao.
Besides working with own groups Lotte Anker has been/is a member of various groups e.g.: Marilyn Mazurs Primi Band, Two Bass-Hit, Saxmachine (saxophonequartet), Jazzgroup 90, Art-Out, Ictus, Mokuto Trio, Konvoj Ensemble, Fire! Orchestra, Shamania, Inspector, Pan-Scan Ensemble, Frelosa (w/ Fred Frith & Samuel Dühsler), Life and Other Transient Storms, Nate Wooley Knknighgh ao
Theatre & Dance Theatre
As a composer and acting saxophoneplayer she has worked with theatre, music/theatre and dancetheatre eg:
1993: Kaspar Hauser with Jorge Holguin Dancetheatre,
1994: Roberto Zucco (dir. Klaus Hoffmeyer) at The Royal Theatre, Copenhagen
1995: Transient Minds with Ricketts Dance Co.
2004: Up against the Wall w. various dancers/performers at The Other Opera, Copenhagen. 2009: Insomnia (dir David Marton) at The Royal Playhouse, Copenhagen
Special projects
Other projects include: Esbjerg Ensemble Composer workshop, Music/Words w/ Figura Ensemble 1997, Workshop/Concerts w/ Kitchen Orchestra, Stavanger, Hanoi New Music Meeting 2009 and Hanoi New Music Festival 2013, Re:Spaces Västerås and Stockholm 2012, Motion Picture: music w/ Jakob Riis to flash animation by Malene Bach, Art-Meeting Lviv, Ukraine 2014, Kitchen Orchestra 10 years Celebration Concert, Stavanger 2015, HanoiºBerlin 2016, Ensemble Modern, Lotte Anker & Fossile 3 Frankfurt 2018
L. Anker has toured and performed at major festivals, performance/concertspaces in most of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, USA, Canada, Middle East, Asia (Vietnam, Japan) and Africa (Morocco,Tanzania, Guinea)
L. Anker is a member of the independent musician/composer collective and Copenhagen-based recordlabel ILK.
Teaching, lectures and workshops
She has been/is regularly teaching classes and courses as well as being guest teacher in composition, ensemble and improvisation at various Danish and Swedish Conservatories and Music Academies including RMC, Copenhagen.
Workshops, courses, lectures, artist talks, workshop concerts ao: Sweden (Gothenburg & Malmoe Music Academies & Royal College of Music, STHLM ), Germany, Poland (Academy of Music,Katowize), USA (University of Michigan), Canada (Vancouver Jazzfestival), Syria (High Institute of Music, Damascus) and Vietnam (DomDom Center of Experimental Music and Arts & Vietnam National Academy of Music, Hanoi).
Since 2008 member of the independent collective and Copenhagen-based recordlabel ILK. 2014/15: member of Danish Arts Foundation (comittee for composers grants)
Workinggrants, residencies and awards ao:
3-year workinggrant from the State Arts Council in 96, DJBFA compositional prize 2002,
BG-Foundation Artist in Residence 2005 (New York), DK-NY Artsproject 2006.
Danish Cultural Ministery/Danish Jazz Federations exportprogramme: Danish Jazz Launch 2006-2008.
Nominated for Nordic Council Musicprize in 2011.
Other assignments (selected)
2014-15: member of States Arts Foundation. Committee for Composers Grants
2015/16: member of Appraisal Committee for artistic research project under The Norwegian Artistic Research Programme.
Norwegian Academy of Music.
2016- member of Nordic Council Musicprize Committee.
2017- member of board for SNYK
Both as a musician and composer her main interests are in the worlds of experimental jazz/improvisation and contemporary (new) music and the mergings of the two.