A Composer of Sonic Color and Expressive Depth
Benjamin Staern’s music occupies a distinctive space at the intersection of tradition and innovation, blending structural clarity with exploratory soundscapes. Known for his vivid orchestration and neurologically rooted synesthesia — the ability to perceive sounds as colors — Staern creates works that are both emotionally resonant and rich in sensory detail.
Traditional Foundations
Form and orchestration: Staern frequently employs traditional orchestral forces and clear formal structures such as concertos and tone poems, which lend his music coherence and narrative direction.
Lyricism and expression: Works like Worried Souls and Polar Vortex highlight his talent for emotional immediacy, characterized by dramatic arcs, lyrical textures, and atmospheric nuance.
Contemporary Innovation
Synesthetic composition: His perception of sound as color directly shapes his compositional choices, particularly in pieces like Colour Wandering, Yellow Skies, SAIYAH, and Air–Spiral–Light, where orchestration and harmony evoke visual impressions.
Textural and spatial exploration: Works such as Bells and Waves demonstrate his interest in post-spectral and electroacoustic techniques, incorporating layered textures, immersive sonorities, and spatial awareness.
Interdisciplinary and operatic work: Staern’s chamber opera Hilma, based on the life of painter Hilma af Klint, merges minimalist gestures, extended techniques, and visual art in a compelling fusion of disciplines.
Conclusion
Staern’s music resists categorization as purely traditional or radically avant-garde. Instead, it consistently reimagines classical forms through a prism of color, texture, and sensory experience. His approach — often described as neo-expressive modernism — is deeply rooted in emotional communication while embracing a contemporary, multisensory language. Through each composition, Staern contributes a bold and imaginative voice to the evolving Nordic musical landscape.