6 Questions for Christoph JK Müller
An Interview
Christoph JK Müller works as a conductor, pianist and lecturer in orchestral conducting. His arrangements and compositions have been regularly published by Carus-Verlag for over ten years.
What was your first composition?
As a child, I often lost myself in improvising on the piano, inventing music and then immediately forgetting it. But one of the first pieces I actually wrote down was a toccata for organ, which I composed in my youth.
Which other composers inspire you?
I can’t really give a definitive answer to that question, because inspiration and enthusiasm come in phases. Perhaps I should ask: Who has inspired me recently? The rich orchestration and complex inner rhythms of Jean Sibelius’ orchestral works, the powerful, defiant verve of Anna Clyne’s compositions, and the delicate, fragile color palette of Lili Boulanger.
Your most emotional musical experience to date?
Here, too, I can’t offer any single superlative. As a composer, I felt a surreal amazement at musicians getting to know and love one of my works. As a conductor, there was a passage in the first movement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, in which the orchestra and I together created a climax in terms of color and rubato that touched me deeply. As a listener I’m always moved by the scene with Scarpia and Tosca in the second act of Puccini’s Tosca, especially when we come to the Andante sostenuto in F-sharp minor.
Where do you prefer to compose?
With paper and pen at my desk or at the grand piano.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I’m working on an arrangement for musical theater. Apart from that I’m always on the lookout for inspiring and moving texts.
When you’re not composing or making music, then…
… I read, cook, dance, and enjoy good conversations.
Psalm 22
Christoph JK Müller
Carus 10.215/00
After studying school music, artistic piano playing, jazz and orchestral conducting in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Lisbon, Christoph JK Müller was directly engaged as a répétiteur at the Stuttgart State Opera. This was followed by an engagement as Kapellmeister and director of the Junge Oper at the Dortmund Theatre. In addition to his work as a conductor, Christoph JK Müller is also active as an arranger. Christoph JK Müller has been working as a lecturer in orchestral conducting at the UdK Berlin since 2022.
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