

Eivind Gullberg Jensen
“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
Eivind Gullberg Jensen is widely recognised for his knowledgeable and insightful interpretations. An experienced conductor with an extensive repertoire range, he has been Artistic and General Director of Bergen National Opera since the 2020/21 season, and Chief Conductor of Noord Nederlands Orkest since 2022/23, prior to which he was the Chief Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hannover for five years.
Jensen starts his 2025/26 season with the Noord Nederlands Orkest at the Lowlands Festival, which garners audiences of over 50,000 people. He conducts a European cast in Andreas Homoki’s production of Carmen, which has previously been to the Opéra-Comique and Opernhaus Zürich, at the Macao International Music Festival in October 2025. Symphonic engagements include further appearances with Noord Nederlands Orkest, Odense and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestras, the Arctic Philharmonic, and his debut at the Round Top Festival Institute in Texas. Jensen also continues his tenure as Artistic Director of Bergen National Opera.
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Past season highlights include Philharmonia Orchestra, Gothenburg and Malmö Symphony Orchestras, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Stockholm and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestras, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Orchestra Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Orchestre de Paris, Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier and the Berlin Philharmonic. Jensen collaborates regularly with many of today’s leading soloists, including Gil Shaham, Leif Ove Andsnes, Truls Mørk, Alice Sara Ott, Javier Perianes, Hélène Grimaud, Alban Gerhardt, Hilary Hahn, Gabriela Montero, Emmanuel Pahud, Yefim Bronfman, Renaud Capuçon, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Valeriy Sokolov, Mari Eriksmoen, Charlotte Hellekant and Guy Braunstein.
Opera has been a strong presence throughout Jensen’s career. Opera highlights include Festival d’Aix-en-Provence with Simon McBurney’s production of The Rake’s Progress; Die tote Stadt and Katya Kabanova (Bergen National Opera); Asle and Alide (Royal Danish Opera); Tosca and Rusalka for the Wiener Staatsoper; Tosca for National Theatre Tokyo; Die Zauberflöte and Der fliegende Holländer for Opéra de Lille; Rusalka for Teatro dell’Opera di Roma; Oedipus Rex and The Rake’s Progress for Finnish National Opera; Jenůfa for English National Opera; Il corsaro and Rusalka for Opernhaus Zürich; and Rusalka, Eugene Onegin and La bohème for Den Norske Opera.
Eivind Gullberg Jensen studied conducting in Stockholm with Jorma Panula, and in Vienna with Leopold Hager.
Contacts
Katya Walker-Arnott Artist & Project Manager Katie Cardell-Oliver Director, Artist Management
worldwide general management
Katie Cardell-Oliver Director, Artist Management
worldwide general management
Gallery




Season Highlights
Symphony Hall Birmingham
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Elgar - Salut d'amour (arr. Braunstein)
DANI HOWARD: Argentum
EDWARD ELGAR: Elegy, Op. 58
GUY BRAUNSTEIN: Abbey Road Concerto, for violin and orchestra
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: The Lark Ascending
ANNA MEREDITH: Nautilus
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: Four Sea Interludes from 'Peter Grimes'
Grote Zaal Oosterpoort
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60 (Leningrad)
Det Kongelige Teater / The Royal Danish Theatre
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Lowlands Music Festival
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GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets, Op.32 / H.125, 1. Mars, the Bringer of War, 4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
EDVARD GRIEG: Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, 1. Morning mood (Morgenstemning), 4. In the Hall of the Mountain King (I Dovregubbens hall)
EDWARD ELGAR: Pomp and Circumstance March: No 1, D major
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, I. Allegro con brio
MAURICE RAVEL: Bolero
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Odense Konserthus
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FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Octet in E flat major, Op. 20 (arr for string orch)
CARL NIELSEN: Symphony No. 6, (Sinfonia Semplice)
OLE BUCK: Recorder Concerto
“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.”