Bio
A native of Norway, Espen Engemyr Jensen moved to the US in 1998 and earned a master’s, diploma, and doctorate degrees in guitar performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Espen is an active composer and arranger. His compositions include numerous solo guitar pieces and chamber pieces for rare instrumental combinations such as his 2015 piece “Seconds” for guitar and bassoon and his 2017 piece “Wicked Skyline Rhapsody” for soprano saxophone, cello, and guitar. His music is often programmatic and has a story-telling element to it. Central to his output is the series of “Gallerianas,” a string of compositions for solo guitar and various chamber ensembles reflecting on visits to arts galleries and museums over the course of several decades.
As a performer of new music, Espen has also championed a large amount of music for the guitar and has premiered solo and chamber compositions by Egil Kapstad, Kjell Marcussen, Vidar Kristensen, Hans-Magne Græsvold, John Supko, Justin Merritt, Eddie Bass, and others.
Espen’s doctoral studies focused on music of Haiti, particularly the Haitian genre of méringue. His work illuminated Haitian music as an important incubator of many of the musical characteristics found throughout the Caribbean. In the process, he transcribed and arranged a large number of Haitian songs and compositions for solo guitar as well as for chamber ensembles. In 2019, he received the Individual Advancement Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission, making it possible to record a selection of his arrangement of Haitian music.
The grant from the Indiana Arts Commission led to the 2020 release of “Choucoune-Music of Haiti” with solo arrangement of music of Haiti. “Choucoune” is Espen’s third solo album, alongside “Nocturnal Varations” and “Elogio de la danza y la canción,” both re-mastered and re-issued in 2020. Nocturnal Variations feature some of the most expansive works for the guitar spanning from the Baroque to the 20th century. The concept of music variations as a compositional topic is featured throughout, starting with Bach’s infamous Cicaonna and ending with Britten’s masterpiece Noctural after John Dowland. Elogio de la Danza explores the Spanish and Latin American repertoire for the guitar, showcasing the instrument as a uniquely expressive melodic instrument as well as a distinctly rhythmic instrument.
From 2005 to 2013, Espen co-directed the Latin American Popular Music Ensemble at the Jacobs School. This period included variety of performances with guest artists such as Pablo Ziegler, Jorge Gomez, Adam del Monte, Gonzolo Grau, Nuccio D’Angelo and others. As part of the LAPME, he also started a regular guitar ensemble, which later was included as a permanent feature of the curriculum at the school.
Espen is an active educator and ensemble director. He has written a large number or pieces designed to help the beginner, intermediate and advanced student develop their technical and musical skills. Similarly, he has written both original and arranged music for guitar ensemble, spanning from large programmatic compositions to educational pieces targeting the guitarists’ proficiency as a musicians and ensemble members. Espen currently directs the Guitar Ensemble of the Bloomington Classical Guitar Society. He is also the founder and owner of www.guitarticker.com an online hub that serves as a resource for all learners of the classical guitar.
Espen currently enjoys a multipronged musical life as a performer, composer, and educator. He also leads student recruitment for the world-renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he serves as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.