Kirsten Milenko was born and raised in North Avalon, Australia. She commenced piano studies at the age of 5, simultaneously with a study of ballet. Following a strong interest in science and humanities during her school years, the two artforms continued alongside her education, until graduating in 2011 and deciding to pursue a humanities degree at University. After three years studying International Relations, Advanced French Studies and Literature at the University of New South Wales, while continuing private and additional tertiary piano study, she would direct her tertiary education to composition and commence at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at age 21.
During her studies at the Sydney Conservatorium, Milenko frequently sought practical experience outside of the tertiary educational scope to work with film directors, dancers and musicians within Sydney and Europe. In 2017, Milenko commenced a multidisciplinary project in Germany with composer/choreography Hayley Page for the Hamburg Ballet’s Young Choreographer’s Series. In July the same year, her electroacoustic work Ex Aere premiered at City Recital Hall in Sydney with soprano Sylvie Woods and double bassist Jacques Emery – a work which has developed into her upcoming debut album Caeli. In August 2017, she would move to Denmark indefinitely.
Following her primary composition studies under Liza Lim, Natasha Anderson, Ursula Caporali, Rosalind Page, and orchestration studies with Carl Vine, Milenko travelled to study at the Royal Danish Academy of Music as a visiting student to study under Niels Rosing-Schow and Simon Løffler. Following her year abroad, she enrolled in the Master’s degree at RDAM where she will graduate in 2020. Her studies have increasingly focused on orchestrating small to large-scale ensembles in addition to studies in electroacoustics and the crossover points between these two disciplines. Movement is a continual and foundational point of focus within her work.
Milenko has worked with and written for ensembles such as: the Esbjerg Ensemble, DR VokalEnsembelt, E-Mex Ensemble, Scandinavian Guitar Duo, Ensemble Offspring, Ensemblage, SCM Wind Symphony, Adelaide Wind Symphony, Modest Orchestra. In Copenhagen, Milenko has worked with a number of solo musicians, conductors and new music ensembles including Jean Thorel, Kalle Hakosalo, K!art, Bartłomiej Sutt, Louise Mcclelland Jacobsen and Emma Ilona Mustaniemi. Her music has been performed in festivals within Denmark, Poland, the UK and Australia.
She has pursued additional studies as a composer and conductor at academies such as: Dartington International Summer School (UK), Synthetis International Summer School (Poland), Hatched Academy (Australia), Women Conductor’s Programme with Jessica Cottis and the Royal Philharmonic Society (UK), Melbourne Youth Orchestras Conducting School (Australia), NORD+MIX Workshop (Lithuania).
