Emil Friis is a Danish composer and pianist based in Copenhagen, working within the realms of contemporary classical, ambient and film music. Despite having no formal musical training, Friis has developed a deeply personal compositional language defined by emotional nuance, tension, warmth and understated beauty. Blending orchestral instrumentation with analogue processing, synthesis and textured sound design, his work often explores themes surrounding memory, human connection and the complexities of the human condition.

His early relationship with music began through his father’s vinyl collection, where artists such as Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley first introduced him to the power of narrative and emotional storytelling through song. Today, his work continues to draw inspiration from the minimalist sensibilities of Gavin Bryars, alongside composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as the atmospheric experimentalism of Jeff Bridges and Keefus Ciancia’s Sleeping Tapes.

Alongside his work as a recording artist, Friis has established an extensive career as a composer for film and television, frequently collaborating with acclaimed filmmakers including Morgan Jon Fox, Kevin Brooks, Shaun Hart and Jannik Splidsboel. Across both mediums, his compositions balance intimacy and atmosphere — often moving between quiet fragility and cinematic emotional weight.

His discography includes ambient and contemporary classical releases such as Songs From The Deep, Untitled Dreams, Mirrors and the score to Undersea, featuring contributions from musicians including Davide Rossi and Bobby Furgo. In 2025, Friis released Moving Images, his debut album for FatCat Records’ influential post-classical imprint 130701. Conceived as a dialogue between sound and cinema, the project invited a selection of predominantly American filmmakers to create short films in response to each composition, exploring the relationship between music, imagery and the deeply personal narratives formed between the two.

In 2026, Friis returns with Hollow Hands, a four-track EP shaped by themes of free will, emotional vulnerability and human presence. Expanding upon the sonic world introduced in Moving Images, the release combines intimate piano compositions, analogue processing and field recordings captured in southern Italy — creating a tactile and emotionally immersive collection of works that further cements Friis’ distinctive voice within contemporary classical and ambient music.