CHRISTIANHOLMQVIST

Christian Holmqvist is a musical pluralist. As a trained musicologist he knows his music history, and refers to different traits in different epochs in both obvious and subtle ways. He select his tools in consideration of what he wants to express in the work at hand.

​Holmqvist acknowledge especially Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Debussy, Scriabin, Shostakovich, Einar Englund and Einojuhani Rautavaara as important to his development as a composer. 

​​

Holmqvist is mainly known for his songs and has been called "The Finnish Hugo Wolf". He has also written well-received works for amateur choir. Holmqvist has composed string quartets and other chamber music, as well as music for solo piano and orchestral works. 

​​

In a time when it is assumed that the work of a composer consists in creating discussions about complex issues, presenting musical manifestoes and lavishly explain what you must hear in the music and why, Holmqvist remains a believer in a music that you can listen to without any knowledge of what the composer thought about when writing it. He do not deny that the so called reality 

influences his art, but he invites you to yourself find out how.