Lotte Anker

Lotte Anker was born 1958 in Copenhagen. As a child and young she studied classical piano but took up the saxophone and improvised music in 1980, primarily influenced through the music of John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter but also the more experimental jazzscene in Scandinavia at that time.

She has studied music at the Copenhagen University from 1980-84 and par-ticipated in several courses and workshops lead by e.g.: Joe Henderson, David Liebman, John Tchicai, Marilyn Mazur, David Murray.

As a composer she is mostly selftaught but has a degree in composition from Rhytmic Conservatory, Cph. Compositionclass led by Bob Brookmeyer as well as danish contemporary composers such as Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgren, Svend Hvidtfeldt-Nielsen, Hans Abrahamsen.

Lotte Anker has played in various danish/scandinavian groups e.g.: Marilyn Mazurs “Primi Band” ,Two Bass-Hit, Saxmachine (saxophonequartet), Jazzgroup 90, Art-Out, Marilyn Mazurs “Summerquartet” etc. She has also participated in a lot of different projects as “New Music Orchestra”, Pierre Dorges “SubwayMusic”, Barry Guy +Av-Art Orchestra, Composers Biennale 96, NUMUS Festival 97, Toneart Composers Biennale 2000 + projectconcerts/tours with Peter Brotzman, Miya Masaoka, Thomas Lehn, Per Jørgensen, Michael Formanek, Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, Dylan van der Schyff , Paal Nilssen-Love, Herb Robertson, Arve Henriksen, Anders Jormin, Andrew Cyrille etc

As a composer and saxophoneplayer she has worked with both theatre and dance- theatre: “Kaspar Hauser” with Jorge Holguin Dancetheatre, “Transient Minds” with Ricketts Dance Co., and “Roberto Zucco” at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, “Up against the Wall” w. various dancers/performers and Copenhagen Art Ensemble at The Other Opera.

In 1988 she formed her own quartet with pianoplayer Mette Petersen:Lotte Anker/Mette Petersen Quartet. In 92 the quartet transformed into a quintet with norwegian trumpetplayer Nils-Petter Molvær. In 95 she became a member of the free improvising trio ”Anker, Friis, Poulsen” (with Hasse Poulsen, guitar and Peter Friis-Nielsen: bass)

Since '96 she- together with tromboneplayer Ture Larsen- has been co-leader of the 12-piece orchestra ”Copenhagen Art Ensemble”. Cph. Art Ensemble is performing new music and besides playing new danish music, the band has done projects/tours with e.g.: Tim Berne, Django Bates, John Tchicai, The Zapolski Quartet, Mats Gustafsson.

In '97 Lotte Anker formed a trio with Marilyn Crispell and Marilyn Mazur: The trio (+ duo w/ M. Crispell) has during the last years performed at clubs and festivals in Scandinavia, Germany, France, Spain,Slovenia, Morocco, USA and Canada, With Marilyn Crispell she has also toured with the quartet Sine Die (w/ Anders Jormin + Arve Henriksen).

In 2003 an additional trio : Anker, Taborn, Cleaver was formed with pianoplayer Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver

Lotte Anker has toured and performed at festivals, clubs/concertspaces etc in Europe and USA, Canada and Africa.

Lotte Anker is/has been teaching arrangement, composition and improvisation at Rhytmic Music Conservatory, Copenhagen and has done workshops + workshopconcerts in Scandinavia, Germany,Canada

Lotte Anker has received several workinggrants, commisions and awards: a.o. a 3-year workinggrant from the State Arts Council in 96, DJBFA compositional prize 2002, BG-Foundation Artist in Residence 2005 (New York). Danish Jazz Launch 2006-8.

Both as a musician and composer her main interests are in the worlds of modern/free/impro jazz and contemporary (new) music and the combination of the two.