CHRISTIAN ØLAND

Christian Øland is one of the Nordic region’s most promising young conducting talents. Highlights of the 2023/24 season include debuts with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra.
Øland will also return to conduct orchestras such as Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Magdeburg Philharmoniker, South Denmark Philharmonic, The Nordic Chamber Orchestra, as well as Aalborg and Aarhus Symphony Orchestras.
With Copenhagen Philharmonic, Christian Øland will conduct the highly anticipated world premiere of the symphonic contemporary dance work ‘Leaning Tree’ by Danish composer Signe Lykke. The premiere will be in 'Skuespilhuset' in Copenhagen in October 2023.

Christian Øland was born in Denmark in 1994 and has studied in the renowned orchestral conducting class of The Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He was admitted to The Sibelius Academy when he was 18 years old, and after just one year of studies, he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra by the orchestra’s Chief Conductor Hannu Lintu and led the orchestra in concert. He worked closely with the FRSO’s visiting conductors including Esa Pekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt and Oliver Knussen. With Oliver Knussen he prepared a performance of Reinbert de Leeuw’s ‘Der Nächtige Wanderer’ and conducted the off-stage ensemble in concert. Furthermore, Christian Øland conducted the orchestra's educational and youth concerts.

Christian Øland has worked with orchestras such as The Danish National Symphony Orchestra, The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Danish Orchestra, The Royal Swedish Orchestra(The Royal Swedish Opera and Ballet), The Danish National Opera, Magdeburg Philharmoniker, Slovak State Philharmonic Košice, Copenhagen Philharmonic, South Denmark Philharmonic, Wermland Opera, The Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Jönköping Sinfonietta, and Jyväskylä Sinfonia. In his home country Denmark, Christian Øland is a regular guest conductor with most of the regional orchestras.

Equally at home in concert halls and opera houses, Christian Øland has conducted Poul Schierbeck’s opera "Fête Galante" at The Danish National Opera, and conducted a full production of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" at The Royal Danish Ballet. At the Royal Swedish Ballet Christian Øland has conducted Mats Ek’s landmark production of Tchaikovsky’s “Juliet and Romeo", and with the Helsinki Sinfonietta he has conducted a fully staged production of Britten’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Christian Øland has previously worked as Assistant Conductor at the prestigious Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland (in 2018 and 2019).

Before commencing his conducting studies, Christian Øland studied bassoon and piano in Denmark. Simultaneously with his conducting studies, he played as a bassoonist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. His teachers and professors at The Sibelius Academy have included conductors such as Atso Almila, Hannu Lintu, Leif Segerstam, Jorma Panula, Herbert Blomstedt, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

In 2016 Christian received the Carl Nielsen Talent Prize and the same year he was awarded the Arne Hammelboe Travel Scholarship by ‘The Danish Conductors Association.’