Instrumentation: bstcl, vn, va, vc
Mette Nielsen (b. 1985) is a Danish composer whose music explores the tension between precision and imperfection. She often works with what she calls the almost unison—a state of subtle friction where microtonal shifts and sonic nuances become vividly perceptible. Her work embraces both structure and unpredictability, as seen in a series of pieces where performers receive real-time instructions via iPods set to shuffle—merging the composer’s voice with chance-driven form.
Nielsen studied composition at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, working with composers such as Simon Steen-Andersen, Jeppe Just Christensen, Niels Rosing-Schow, Hans Abrahamsen, Bent Sørensen, and Hans Peter Stubbe-Teglbjærg.
Her music has been performed by leading ensembles including Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Adapter, Ensemble TM+, SCENATET, FIGURA Ensemble, Athelas Sinfonietta, and the Bulgarian women’s choir Usmifka. She is the recipient of several major honors, including the Pelle-Prisen, Axel Borup-Jørgensen Composer’s Prize, Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Grant, the Anckerske Grant, and the Aksel and Astrid Agerby Memorial Foundation Award.