Thomas Koppel

Thomas Koppel established himself first as the creator and leading force behind Savage Rose, the cryptic Danish progressive rock band. In parallel he composed contemporary classical works and released music under his own name. Although childhood training at the classical piano had already led him to write serious pieces, his energies turned toward rock once Savage Rose assembled in 1967. Scores for theater and ballet nevertheless kept him active outside the rock sphere, among them the largely instrumental Dodens Triumf issued under the Savage Rose name. While the group maintained its presence into the 1990s, Koppel increasingly devoted himself to orchestral composition, producing symphonic pieces for several ensembles and receiving Denmark’s principal award for film music.