The following biography was written by Sven Libaek:
Sven Libaek was born in Norway in 1938, and trained early as both a musician and an actor. He first achieved international recognition with his role in the Louis deRochemont film Windjammer where he was able to combine his love for music and acting with his appearance as a soloist with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Libaek first came to Australia in 1960 as a member of the band, The Windjammers, which toured in both the USA and Australia to promote the film. Shortly after the group broke up, Libaek and his wife returned to Australia to live.
Libaek has scored many films & TV series, including Nature Walkabout, Boney, Inner Space, Big Country, The World Around Us, Joe Wilson, and The Settlement, as well as dozens of documentaries and industrial films. He worked with Maurice Jarre as musical coordinator and orchestrator for Peter Weir's film The Year of Living Dangerously and also hosted his own TV show on ABC called All about Music. The 2004 Wes Anderson film, Life Aquatic, featured five of Libaek's compositions as part of its score.
Libaek lived and worked in Los Angeles from 1977 to 1994 where he orchestrated more than 300 popular songs for US radio stations and artists including Lionel Ritchie and Neil Diamond, and was engaged by Hanna-Barbera in Hollywood to score the music to ten two-hour animated TV movie specials.
During his career, Libaek has had more than 30 record albums released. He has composed serious concert works for instruments including the piano, classical guitar, flute and clarinet. For the Australian Centenary of Federation he was commissioned by the Sutherland Shire Council to compose a special work for Symphony Orchestra, Choir and Brass Band, with words by his wife Lolita Rivera. Called The First Shire, it was performed at Cronulla Beach in front of 10,000 people in January 2001.
Libaek is principal conductor of The Sutherland Shire Symphony Orchestra and President of the Music Arrangers Guild of Australia. He has worked as an adjudicator and piano teacher, and early in his musical career, was Musical Director and A&R Manager for CBS Records as well as General Manager for April Music Publishing Company for four years. He is currently Composer-in-Residence at Port Hacking High School and frequently lectures at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney.
Libaek is currently completing the score to a Sydney Maritime Museum documentary about the restoration of the magnificent sailing ship the James Craig, and putting the final touches on his first Piano Concerto.
*PLEASE NOTE: This site is not maintained, affiliated, or endorsed by Sven Libaek. I am just a fan trying to preserve his amazing music and share it with anyone that can appreciate it. Thank you for your support!*
Sven Libaek's - THE SET is one piece of underrated work. If you have trouble finding it, I could encode it for you as I have the vinyl with me on my travels right now... or hit me up if you wanna trade.
Speaking of which, there's a smokin' new Progressive Classical track up on Mad Nutcracker titled "Wasp Flight" Currently #2 in Progressive Rock on SoundClick.
Mount Hudson (locally known as Cerro Hudson) is a stratovolcano in southern Chile, and the site of one of the largest eruptions in the twentieth century. The mountain itself is covered by a glacier. There is a caldera at the summit from an ancient eruption; modern volcanic activity comes from inside the caldera.
Sven is one of the most magical musician/composer/arranger persons of all time. If you're here, you may already know that, words fail to praise the gift he has given us all. "Music for Eels" says it all and considering it's an instrumental... that's as mystical as the man Sven Libaek himself! It's the highest honor to be on the same page as Sven, in any sense at all. Sven affects all your senses in the most profound way... thank you Mr. Libaek for including me in your conciousness and space!
Sven Libaek, its an honor to be seen on your page, and a pleasure to be among your friends!
Shout out!
Brete
PS: Hope you'll keep this CD in mind for your Stocking Stuffers! (Currently available at CD Baby) www.MadNutcracker.com
