Eivind Gullberg Jensen
Henrik Björlin
“Eivind Gullberg Jensen – bookmark that name – displays a fine sensitivity for balance and rhythm.”
(Norman Lebrecht)
Artistic & General Director: Bergen National Opera
Chief Conductor: North Netherlands Orchestra (from 2022/23)
Eivind Gullberg Jensen is equally comfortable on the concert platform as the opera house stage, having been appointed Chief Conductor of Noord Nederlands Orkest (starting from 2022/23 season) and Artistic and General Director of Bergen National Opera since 2021. An experienced conductor with an extensive repertoire range, he was the Chief Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie for five years and is recognised for his knowledgeable and insightful interpretations.
During the 2023/24 season, Jensen appears with Orchestra Philharmonique de Monte Carlo with violinist Valeriy Sokolov, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie and Orchestre National Des Pays de la Loire. He further develops his relationship with the Royal Danish Opera as conductor in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and maintains his prestigious position of Artistic Director with the Bergen National Opera. He also forges ahead with his second season with Noord Nederlands Orkest, which shall include the world premiere of a violin concerto by Karmit Fadael with Pieter Van Loenen as soloist.
Jensen has notably conducted Berliner Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker and WDR Sinfonieorchester in Germany, Philharmonia Orchestra in London, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Stockholm and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic orchestras, Orchestre de Paris and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. In recent seasons, Jensen has debuted in North America with Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, alongside appearances with Utah Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Minnesota and Oregon symphony orchestras. He returned to Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Kristiansand Symfoniorkester, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.
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Recently he has worked with internationally renowned soloists such as Gil Shaham, Leif Ove Andsnes, Truls Mørk, Alice Sara Ott, Javier Perianes, Hélène Grimaud, Gautier Capuçon, Sol Gabetta, Alban Gerhardt, Hilary Hahn, Gabriela Montero, Emmanuel Pahud, Yefim Bronfman, Alexander Toradze, Vadim Repin, Viktoria Mullova, Renaud Capuçon, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Mari Eriksmoen, Charlotte Hellekant, Albert Dohmen and Guy Braunstein.
Opera has been a strong presence throughout Jensen’s career. In 2008, he shared a production of Fidelio with Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Claudio Abbado, to critical acclaim. Other opera highlights include Festival d’Aix-en-Provence with the new Simon McBurney production of The Rake’s Progress, the Wiener Staatsoper with Tosca and Rusalka, Opéra de Lille with Die Zauberflöte and Der fliegende Holländer, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma with Rusalka, English National Opera with Janáček’s Jenůfa, Il corsaro and Rusalka for Opernhaus Zürich, as well as Rusalka, Eugene Onegin and La bohème (in Stefan Herheim’s production) at Den Norske Opera.
Eivind Gullberg Jensen studied conducting in Stockholm with Jorma Panula, and in Vienna with Leopold Hager. Previously, he studied violin and musical theory in Trondheim, Norway.
HarrisonParrott represents Eivind Gullberg Jensen for worldwide general management.
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“Gullberg Jensen succeeded impressively on this evening. This Bruckner was eruptive, intense and lush, but at no point was it in danger of getting out of hand. The Radiophilharmonie’s flexibility and tonal shadings in response to Gullberg Jensen’s precise instructions were highly focussed and full of tension.”
“Eivind Gullberg depicts all the subtleties, like a vibrant painting of light and color. […] Everything is wonderfully synchronized, the harmony is crisp and clear, masterful use of tempo, wit and emotion are everywhere. […] Eivind Gullberg is a skilled music coordinator. He is not an old-fashioned conductor, rather he is the link between the soloist and the orchestra. With his humble attitude towards the soloist and this wonderful orchestra, he shapes the understanding that gives this music its full development.”
“Has Norway ever had a conductor of Gullberg Jensen’s format? Hardly, because only the very best get away with the Berlin Philharmonic and it had been generations since a Norwegian last passed the narrow eye of the needle. Without a conductor’s stick and unnecessary facts, we immediately noticed an airy, transparent orchestral sound and distinct, elegant phrasing. The interaction with Andsnes was striking and the interpretation of the intricate Stravinsky work became just as virtuoso playful as one might wish. And then Gullberg Jensen dropped the score and gave us a dramatic version of Mozart’s 40th symphony in G minor. Gullberg Jensen’s inspiring management ensured a terrific end to the concert.”
‘The orchestra has a leading role in Sour Angelica, and it was impressive to hear the full and warm sound brought out by conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen. Puccini uses heavy layers of string harmonies, so even with the somewhat reduced numbers of string players, Gullberg Jensen managed to keep the lyrical tension throughout his conducting.’
“Under the energetic and precise baton of the Norwegian conductor Eivind Gullberg-Jensen, the orchestra constantly breathes with the singers in a narration which intertwines the many instruments, the artists of the choirs and the solo voices.”
“Eivind Gullberg Jensen conducts the Symphoniker Hamburg with that mixture of intelligence and sense of sound, of elegance and fire, that the much-heard gigantic D Minor Symphony begins to speak at once — not from a distant early 19th century, but straight from the here and now.”
“He has all the qualities for an excellent opera conductor: an authoritative conducting technique, the power to lead an orchestra tightly and multifaceted to drive the music forward and draw delicate moods as well as to savour dramatic climaxes. And he leads the singers with empathy, breathing with them.”
“Norwegian conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen made the piece flow with his graceful gestures, indeed it was extraordinary to see such angular almost aggressive music expressed so smoothly.”
“It was a joyride: taut, together, highly effective orchestral playing under the confident and relaxed baton of Eivind Gullberg Jensen, with soloist Lugansky clearly a master of his art.”
“As for young Mr Jensen, I’d be thrilled if he was invited back after his culminating and climactic direction on Saturday, which conjured from the RSNO a glorious account of Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony, quivering with volatility from top to tail.”
“Jensen shaped it [Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 3] with overall fluidity, yet ensured that every phrase was purposefully sculpted, making for a performance of freshness and vigour. ”
“…it was hard to be disappointed with a concert containing music-making of such consistent vitality under the very dynamic leadership from young Norwegian conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen.”