Projects

This page offers a concise overview of my work as composer, conductor and systems-builder. Each section below leads to a dedicated page with selected projects, context and materials.

Composing

I write concert pieces, film scores and conceptual orchestral works that treat instrumentation, harmony and space as one system. The range spans private sacral commissions, speculative ad mock-ups and narrative-driven music for screen, with an emphasis on clarity of gesture and structural tension.

Handwritten partimento exercise in pencil on music manuscript paper, showing figured bass and worked-out contrapuntal voices from 2020.
Partimento exercise from my private counterpoint notebook (2020), exploring figured bass and multi-voice realization as part of my harmonic craft work.

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Conducting

My conducting work covers symphonic choral programmes, studio sessions and musical direction in delicate ceremonial contexts. The focus is on rehearsal architecture, risk management and real-time decision making, whether with amateur choirs or professional orchestras.

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Conducting Debut at the Schubertkirche, Vienna. Photo by Elisabeth Gatterburg, 2022

Institutional Roles

Several years inside institutions such as the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Philharmonie der Universität Wien and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México shaped how I think about repertoire, logistics and the psychology of large ensembles. These roles form the practical backbone underneath the artistic projects.

Interior view of the Großer Saal at the Musikverein in Vienna, empty seats in the foreground and the stage being prepared with lights and equipment, © 2020 Theo Thorsson.
Großer Saal, Musikverein in Vienna during stage setup. © 2020 Theo Thorsson.

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Writing & Theory

Alongside practical work I publish theoretical and applied writing, from The Metaphysics of Contradiction to field manuals for choir conductors. These texts formalise the systems behind my practice and translate them into tools that other musicians and organisers can use directly.

Black and white digital artwork showing a classical female figure surrounded by geometric architecture, cubes and a spiderweb-like structure, used as the cover image for The Metaphysics of Contradiction, © 2024 Theo Thorsson.
“Einsamkeit”, digital artwork and cover image for The Metaphysics of Contradiction. © 2024 Theo Thorsson.

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