Ernst Krenek

Ernst Krenek, born in Vienna in 1900, was a prolific and versatile Austrian-American composer whose career spanned over seven decades, reflecting the major musical trends of the 20th century. Krenek's oeuvre is a testament to his insatiable curiosity and innovative spirit, encompassing styles from neoromantic tonality and neoclassicism to atonality, serialism, and even jazz influences. He was a prominent exponent of the serial technique and wrote a significant number of works using the twelve-tone system. Krenek's contributions to the piano concerto repertoire are particularly notable, standing alongside those of Bartók and Prokofiev. Beyond his compositional work, Krenek was also a prolific writer, penning several influential books on music. His journey took him from Vienna and Berlin to various universities in the US and Canada, where he taught and continued to compose until his passing in 1991. Krenek's music offers a rich and diverse sonic landscape, inviting exploration and discovery.