Torben Westergaard
Musician, composer, and music teacher education
* 9 October 1960 – † 28 February 2026
“Music is wholly democratic.
It belongs to you, and everyone.
The more you open yourself to it,
the more it embraces you.
It is as awake as you are.”
Dato: 2. marts 2026
Nekrolog: Torben Westergaard
v/ forskningsprofessor, PhD og bassist Peter Vuust
Musiker, komponist og lektor i teoretisk musikpædagogik på Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (DJM) Torben Westergaard er død 65 år gammel efter kort tids sygdom.
Torben og jeg gik i samme klasse på Statsgymnasiet på Fenrisvej i Aarhus. Han boede i Åbyhøj og jeg i Hasle, blot et par hundrede meter fra hinanden. Det var i slutningen af 70erne, i rummet mellem flippere, disk’ere og yuppier, med kædedans til festerne og koncerter med Gnags, CV Jørgensen og Sneakers. Torben og jeg diskuterede altid musik – han var mere til Weather Report, jeg til McCartney. Vi havde respekt for Torben i klassen. Han besad en blanding af seriøsitet og underspillet humor, altid med en krystalklar sans for, hvad der var væsentligt. Når han sagde noget, var det altid vigtigt, rigtigt og mange gange uforglemmeligt. Som da han, i tråd med tidens ånd, i en dansktime ytrede sig mod den evindelige stræben efter materialistiske goder, og en af de andre påpegede, at Torben da vist selv havde købt en ret dyr Fender bas. ”Men det er noget andet”, sagde han. ”Det er essentielt. Musik er essentielt.” Han var bare født mere moden og voksen end os andre, i hvert fald end mig.
Date: 2 March 2026
Obituary: Torben Westergaard
by Research Professor, PhD and bassist Peter Vuust
Musician, composer, and lecturer in theoretical music teacher education at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus (DJMRAMA), Torben Westergaard, has died at the age of 65 after a short illness.
Torben and I were in the same class in high school (at the State Gymnasium Aarhus statsgymnasium, on Fenrisvej) in Aarhus. He lived in the neighbourhood of Åbyhøj and I lived in Hasle – just a couple of hundred metres apart. This was the late 1970s, somewhere in the cultural space between hippies, disco devotees and the first yuppies, with chain dancing at parties and concerts by Gnags, CV Jørgensen and Sneakers. Torben and I were always discussing music – he leaned more towards Weather Report, I towards McCartney. In our class, Torben commanded respect. He possessed a rare mixture of seriousness and understated humour, always with a crystal-clear sense of what truly mattered. Whenever he said something, it was always important, always right, and often unforgettable. Like the time, very much in the spirit of the era, when he spoke out in a Danish class against the endless pursuit of material possessions. One of the others pointed out that Torben himself had apparently just bought a rather expensive Fender bass. “But that’s different,” he replied. “That’s essential. Music is essential.” He simply seemed born to be more mature and grown-up than the rest of us – certainly more than me.
The Tangofied Trilogy
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“Torben Westergaard‘s charismatic concoction of Nordic jazz and Argentinean tango just keeps getting stronger and more refined. He brings a melancholy tone to the dance and incites excitable motion out of introspective thoughts. His last installment in his Tangofied series got a strong recommendation, and his album III is a step up even from that plateau. This is delightful music, especially when it sinks deep into a state of contemplation”.
Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm (USA)
Musician, Composer, Music Teacher Educator
“Music connects us to our emotions and fosters our bonds as human beings. It is the most meaningful activity I can engage in, and I have pursued it for over 40 years.”
Educational Videos
Latest Blog Posts
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As we all know, music travels. This includes to Japan. I had the great pleasure of touring there. I visited Tokyo and Kobe many years ago with Gretchen Langheld and House Afire. ありがとうございます Arigatō gozaimasu
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Streaming er et mangehovedet uhyre. På den ene side er det smigrende og glædeligt at have rundet 2 millioner streams – på den anden side ved jeg også, at algoritmerne spiller med, og at det handler om, at jeg har været heldig at komponere og indspille et nummer med min gode ven, den brasilianske pianist…
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– sådan beskrev en underviser det øjeblik, hvor co-teaching virkelig giver mening. Og jeg genkender det. I en ny artikel i Musikskolen deler vi erfaringer med co-teaching i både Musikkonservatoriet og Musik- og Kulturskoleregi. Det handler ikke kun om at være to undervisere i rummet – men om at skabe noget tredje sammen. En fælles puls. En…
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Three Short Trips – One Artistic Vision “Good things can come in small packages.” That’s how a recent All About Jazz review opened its take on my latest trilogy of EPs. I couldn’t agree more, and I am thankful for Geno Thackara’s gracious words. Over the past couple of years, I’ve released three very different musical journeys:🟢 Dialogues – intimate…
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In 2019, I collaborated with Danish author Tina Sakura Bestle to create ten songs for the album Kirsebærsne. This project involved talented musicians and resulted in sheet music availability. The music has also reached Japan, celebrating the beauty of cherry blossoms. Enjoy presentation videos showcasing our work.