Karen Tanaka is appointed Composer in Association at Malmö Live Concert Hall

As part of creating an international and dynamic concert hall, Japanese-American composer Karen Tanaka will serve as Composer-in-Association at Malmö Live Concert Hall and Malmö Symphony Orchestra for both the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.

• I am delighted to appoint Karen Tanaka as our Composer-in-Association. Karen is a dynamic composer with an international reputation, known for her diverse musical expressions. Her prolific body of work spans orchestral and chamber music, film scores, and electronic media.
  Having lived in Tokyo, Paris, and California, Karen brings a wealth of multicultural experience to her compositions. Her music, shaped by these diverse cultures, becomes a prism of life and experience. This resonates deeply with many in Malmö, who have also been influenced by different cultures,” says Erik Mikael Karlsson, CEO and Artistic Director of Malmö Live Concert Hall and Malmö Symphony Orchestra.

Karen Tanaka was born in Tokyo, currently lives in Los Angeles, and teaches composition at California Institute of the Arts. Before moving to the US, she lived in Paris for many years, studying computer music at IRCAM (Institut de recherche et coordination acoustique/musique). She studied composition with Tristan Murail in Paris, Luciano Berio in Florence, and was mentored by James Newton Howard in the US.

• I am thrilled and honored to serve as Composer in Association with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra at Malmö Live Concert Hall for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons. With the support of director Erik Mikael Karlsson, I look forward to collaborating with the conductor Martyn Brabbins and musicians, and connecting with audiences, says Karen Tanaka.

Karen Tanaka’s music has been performed by distinguished orchestras and ensembles worldwide, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Brodsky Quartet, Ensemble Berlin PianoPercussion, BIT20 Ensemble, Gothic Voices, Vox Clamantis, and Anúna, among many others.

She has also scored a wide range of short films, animations and documentaries. Notably, she scored the animated film Sister, which was selected for prestigious film festivals including Sundance, Annecy, Ottawa, and nominated for the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film.

As Composer-in-Association at Malmö Live Concert Hall, Malmö Symphony Orchestra will perform her symphonic compositions over the next two seasons. Audiences will also have the opportunity to experience her chamber music at Malmö Live Concert Hall.