Hello, my name is Denise Burt and I am a graphic artist and designer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. I have been designing for over 20 years – especially in the field of contemporary classical and art music – and to date I’ve produced album art for more than 400 music releases (see a small selection below). Beyond album art, I also design books, posters, festival graphics, logos, concert programmes and more.

I believe in a pragmatic, empathic and honest approach to graphic design. If you would like to gain more insight into my process and explore more projects, you can read my collection of illustrated short stories about designing album art for contemporary music in my book ‘Seeing New Music’.

See a feature that NPR made on my cover art and design process – and hear some of the wonderful music too!

“Burt’s thoughtfulness, imagination and visual variety is an insight into what can happen when label, composer and artist are working in creative synergy.”

— Tom Service, The Guardian

“Burt’s graphics respond to the radical nature of the music within, as with ‘In C’ and ‘Timber’ with a visual shorthand that promises a sensual, emotional experience as well as an intellectual one.”

— John L. Walters, Eye Magazine

“Denise Burt is as sensitive to the meaning of the music as are the musicians who perform it. She listens closely to the music, she studies it, she thinks hard about it, she interprets it. The CDs we have made together, such as ‘death speaks’ and ‘the difficulty of crossing a field’ are beautiful objects but they are also a visual window into the heart of the music. I never knew that a CD package could do that.”

— David Lang, composer

“Denise Burt’s contributions spell renewed confidence in the future of contemporary classical marketing. The genre’s coexistence with the digital age demands the thoughtful subtlety and collaboration graphic designers bring to the table.”

— Steve Nagel, Classicalite.com

Album art – a selection

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CD: David Lang, 'poor hymnal'

CD: Caroline Shaw, 'How to fold the wind'

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CD: Maya Beiser, 'Salt'

Vinyl: Christopher Zuar, 'Exuberance'

CD: Jared Redmond, 'Scintillant'

CD: Eric Nathan, 'Some Favored Nook'

CD: Michael Gorden, '8'

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Digital release: Solomon Ge, 'Threnody'

7" Vinyl: Michael Gordon & Kronos Quartet, 'Campaign Songs'

CD: Julia Wolfe, 'Anthracite Fields'

CD: David Lang, 'the loser'

CD: Michael Gordon, 'dystopia'

CD: Danielle Schwob, 'Out of the Tunnel'

CD: Eric Nathan, 'Missing Words'

Double LP: Terry Riley, 'Autodreamographical Tales Tales'

CD & Vinyl: David Lang, 'death speaks'

CD: David Lang, 'thorn'

CD & Vinyl: Chris Campbell, 'Orison'

CD: Michael Gordon, 'Clouded Yellow'

CD, Vinyl & Website: Dreamers’ Circus, 'Second Movement'

CD & Vinyl: David Lang, 'Mystery Sonatas'

Vinyl: Maya Beiser & Evan Zipporyn, 'Blackstar'

CD: Michael Gordon, 'Timber'

CD & Vinyl: Michael Møller & Foreign Lands, 'Burning Waltz'

CD: Søren Eichberg – Scherben

CD: Bent Sørensen, 'Mignon'

CD: David Lang, 'the difficulty of crossing a field'

CD & Vinyl: Mathias Heise, 'The Beast'

CD: Jexper Holmen, 'Oort Cloud'

CD: Jakob Bangsøe, 'Connect'

CD: Per Nørgård, 'Libra'

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CD/BOOK: Per Nørgård, 'Titanic'

Vinyl: Joseph M Colombo, 'Ouroboros'

CD: Jeremy Rose, Iron in the Blood

CD: Pele Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, 'Complete String Quartets, vol. 1

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CD: Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, 'Incontri'