About Adam McKenzie
Adam is a Danish-Australian cellist and composer currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has performed in Australia, Canada and across Europe. Adam's compositions have been performed in Denmark, Germany and USA, for theatre and film.
die musiker Christoph Beck, Adam McKenzie und Magdalena Walesch vertonen die szenen so packend, dass man unweigerlich gänsehaut bekommt.
(The musicians Christoph Beck, Adam McKenzie and Magdalena Walesch accompany the scenes so grippingly, that one inevitably gets goosebumps).
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung 15.9.2011
The compositions caught my imagination with their vitality, humour, and innovative way of using the instrument.
Kazimierz Skowronek. Ass. Prof. Szymanowski Academy of Music. 2. Concertmaster, Odense Symphony Orchestra.
Beautiful and original composition.
Darol Anger. Bluegrass fiddler extraordinaire.
His unique skills as a cellist, with a certain Nordic avant-garde edge to his performance, has brought him into the core of The Danish Filmharmonics
Jacob Groth. Film composer (Stieg Larsson Millenium series, Unforgettable, The Eagle).
Born in Denmark, 1986 to parents of relatively normal height and weight, Adam quickly fled to Sydney, Australia as a 2 year old. Some time thereafter he began to study the cello with various teachers such as Anthea-Scott Mitchell and Georg Pedersen. John Ockwell, Sean Coffin and Marcus Hartfield expanded and challenged his ears with everything from Indian Raga to 12-tone technique, while performing with various youth orchestras under the baton of Tom Woods and Steve Williams gave him his first orchestral experiences. Chamber Music was studied with the Tank Stream Quartet and Alice Waten. In the meanwhile, playing at all sorts of weddings and other events for no money with the Erskineville Kings provided a steady income for his high school. Adam also spent many years as a Volunteer Surf Lifesaver at Sydney's Manly Beach. He recieved his Associate of Music Diploma in 2003.
Naturally Adam decided to pursue his music studies, taking two years of a Bachelor degree at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. During this time he performed works by Danish composers such as Vagn Holmboe, Niels W. Gade, Carl Nielsen and Håkon Børresen, as well as works by Australian composers such as Peter Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards. He was also lucky enough to play in masterclasses with the Borodin Quartet and Richard Aaron.
For no particular reason Adam decided to move back to Denmark and start a new bachelor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, studying cello with Morten Zeuthen and Toke Møldrup, as well as a few masterclasses with Hans-Jørgen Jensen and Lilia Schulz-Bayrova. Together with a few others he formed a winter-bathing club, and performed as part of Thy Masterclass, Orkester Norden, Arctic Youth Orchestra and Baltic Youth Orchestra (as a cellist, not a winter-bather).
By a stroke of good luck, Adam ended up playing in Copenhagen Jazz Quartet, a string quartet strongly inspired by Turtle Island Quartet. Learning to groove, to chop, to play a walking bass, comp and improvise on the cello was a completely new, ear-opening experience that completely changed his way of thinking about music. They competed in the 2009 Danish Radio P2 Chamber Music Competition, and performed as part of the Kenneth Bager Experience, performing arrangements and original compositions. Adam also began to do some session work, as well as a touring the UK, Belgium and Denmark with alternative-pop groups such as Bird and Heidrik. Spare time was spent travelling much of Europe, including an 800km trek through Spain.
Again for no particular reason Adam decided to move to Germany, studying at Musikhochschule Münster with Matias de Oliveira Pinto. He also took jazz and improvisation lessons with Christian Kappe and Altfrid Sicking. He quickly formed another jazz string quartet, winning the 'Alte Musik Neu' competition, with two of Adam's original compositions. Mannamano was formed with percussionist Christoph Beck, and their composition for looped cello, percussion and electronics has been played on German and US radio. Together with Harpist Magdelena Walesch, they also created the music for Theater Total's production of 'Gautama in Glück' for the Ruhrtriennale 2011. During this time, Adam was lucky enough to study privately with Michaela Fukačová, and assist in Odense Symphony Orchestra. He also completed his Bachelor of Music.
In 2011 Adam moved to Vancouver, Canada to take his Artist Diploma at the Vancouver Academy of Music with Joseph Elworthy, and to volunteer at the fabulous Vancouver Aquarium. He wrote two short pieces for solo violin which were premiered as encores by Johanna Qvamme at her debut with Odense Symphony Orchestra in Denmark and with Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. Adam has also teamed up with Keith William Miller, performing original folk and bluegrass tunes across Vancouver.
In 2012 Adam moved back to Copenhagen, Denmark, to take a Masters in New Music with Michaela Fukačová and Niels Ullner, taking lessons in performance, improvisation and composition with Fredrik Lundin, Helene Gjerris, Martin Lohse and Rasmus Zwicki. He is currently studying cello in the soloist class. He has taken private lessons and masterclasses with Stephan Braun, Darol Anger, Timo Kreuser, Didier Lockwood and Susanne Paul. 2013 he composed music for the film Laamb, which premiered at the Danish film festival CPH:DOX. In 2015 he composed music for Standing on Water, with the soundtrack released in 2016. He continues to perform jazz, folk and flamenco in various groups based in Copenhagen.
Adam also has considerable teaching experience. He has taught cello and piano privately since 2002, tutored and conducted at music camps and in youth orchestras. Adam was also employed at Ringsted, Sorø, and Herlev Music schools in Denmark since 2009, and can teach in English, Danish and German. He currently teaches at Rudersdal Music school in Copenhagen.
For no particular reason Adam decided to move back to Denmark and start a new bachelor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, studying cello with Morten Zeuthen and Toke Møldrup, as well as a few masterclasses with Hans-Jørgen Jensen and Lilia Schulz-Bayrova. Together with a few others he formed a winter-bathing club, and performed as part of Thy Masterclass, Orkester Norden, Arctic Youth Orchestra and Baltic Youth Orchestra (as a cellist, not a winter-bather).
By a stroke of good luck, Adam ended up playing in Copenhagen Jazz Quartet, a string quartet strongly inspired by Turtle Island Quartet. Learning to groove, to chop, to play a walking bass, comp and improvise on the cello was a completely new, ear-opening experience that completely changed his way of thinking about music. They competed in the 2009 Danish Radio P2 Chamber Music Competition, and performed as part of the Kenneth Bager Experience, performing arrangements and original compositions. Adam also began to do some session work, as well as a touring the UK, Belgium and Denmark with alternative-pop groups such as Bird and Heidrik. Spare time was spent travelling much of Europe, including an 800km trek through Spain.
Again for no particular reason Adam decided to move to Germany, studying at Musikhochschule Münster with Matias de Oliveira Pinto. He also took jazz and improvisation lessons with Christian Kappe and Altfrid Sicking. He quickly formed another jazz string quartet, winning the 'Alte Musik Neu' competition, with two of Adam's original compositions. Mannamano was formed with percussionist Christoph Beck, and their composition for looped cello, percussion and electronics has been played on German and US radio. Together with Harpist Magdelena Walesch, they also created the music for Theater Total's production of 'Gautama in Glück' for the Ruhrtriennale 2011. During this time, Adam was lucky enough to study privately with Michaela Fukačová, and assist in Odense Symphony Orchestra. He also completed his Bachelor of Music.
In 2011 Adam moved to Vancouver, Canada to take his Artist Diploma at the Vancouver Academy of Music with Joseph Elworthy, and to volunteer at the fabulous Vancouver Aquarium. He wrote two short pieces for solo violin which were premiered as encores by Johanna Qvamme at her debut with Odense Symphony Orchestra in Denmark and with Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. Adam has also teamed up with Keith William Miller, performing original folk and bluegrass tunes across Vancouver.
In 2012 Adam moved back to Copenhagen, Denmark, to take a Masters in New Music with Michaela Fukačová and Niels Ullner, taking lessons in performance, improvisation and composition with Fredrik Lundin, Helene Gjerris, Martin Lohse and Rasmus Zwicki. He is currently studying cello in the soloist class. He has taken private lessons and masterclasses with Stephan Braun, Darol Anger, Timo Kreuser, Didier Lockwood and Susanne Paul. 2013 he composed music for the film Laamb, which premiered at the Danish film festival CPH:DOX. In 2015 he composed music for Standing on Water, with the soundtrack released in 2016. He continues to perform jazz, folk and flamenco in various groups based in Copenhagen.
Adam also has considerable teaching experience. He has taught cello and piano privately since 2002, tutored and conducted at music camps and in youth orchestras. Adam was also employed at Ringsted, Sorø, and Herlev Music schools in Denmark since 2009, and can teach in English, Danish and German. He currently teaches at Rudersdal Music school in Copenhagen.
