Leif Christensen (1950–1988) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

classical guitar The classical guitar (also known as the nylon-string guitar or Spanish guitar) is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string instrument with strings made of gut or nylon, it is a precursor o ...

ist. Christensen was born in

Århus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, where he studied theory and history of music at the

University of Århus Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra G ...

and guitar at the Royal Academy of Music. He then studied with

Konrad Ragossnig Konrad Ragossnig (6 May 1932 – 3 January 2018) was an Austrian classical guitarist and lutenist. Ragossnig was born in Klagenfurt, Austria. He taught at City of Basel Music Academy, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna and the Univers ...

at the

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

Music Academy, after which he returned to Århus. His recording debut came in 1981 with an LP of music by the 19th-century composer and guitarist

Giulio Regondi Giulio Regondi (1822 – 6 May 1872) was a Swiss-born classical guitarist, concertinist and composer active in France and (mainly) the United Kingdom. Regondi was born of a German mother and an Italian father in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1831 Fe ...

. Christensen was the first guitarist to record both of the '' Royal Winter Music'' sonatas by

Hans Werner Henze Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as t ...

, and also made recordings of music by

Fernando Sor Fernando Sor (bapt. 14 Feb. 1778, died 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the Romantic music, Early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar music, he also composed an opera (at the age of 19), thr ...

and Vasilii Sarenko, the latter on a Russian seven-string guitar. In addition to his solo performances and recordings, Christensen played in a duo with his wife

Maria Kämmerling Maria Kämmerling (born 20 February 1946) is a German classical guitarist.Maurice J. Summerfield: ''The Classical Guitar. Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800'', 5th edition (Blaydon-on-Tyne: Ashley Mark Publishing Co., 2002), p. 162 ...

, also a respected solo artist. They made three records together. Christensen died in a car crash in 1988, in

approx. 20 km outside Aalborg, Roldskov(a wood) due to a slippery icy road.

External links

LP covers with Liner Notes
(Oviatt Library Digital Collections) I am in family with Leif Christensen and can confirm he died 20 km outside Aalborg, Denmark, Roldskov(a wood) due to a slippery icy road. {{DEFAULTSORT:Christensen, Leif 1950 births 1988 deaths Danish classical guitarists Road incident deaths in Denmark 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century guitarists