CHRISTIAN ØLAND

Chief Conductor: Danish Philharmonic Orchestra (from 2025/26)
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General Music Director and Chief Conductor: Theater Magdeburg & Magdeburgischen Philharmonie (From 2025/26)

Christian Øland is one of today’s most exciting conductors of his generation and
stands at the forefront of young nordic conductors. A status sealed by the commencement of his first two major posts from season 2025/26: Chief Conductor of Danish Philharmonic Orchestra (Sønderjylland Symfoniorkester) and General Music Director of Theater Magdeburg and Chief Conductor of the Magdeburgischen Philharmonie in Germany
The season also includes notable debuts with The Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and his debut with The Oslo Philharmonic, along re-invitations from orchestras such as Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Copenhagen Philharmonic.

Øland was admitted to the conducting class of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki at the age of 18. Just a year later he became Assistant Conductor to Hannu Lintu at the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, in which he had previously played as a bassoonist. He has since then conducted orchestras such as the Royal Danish Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, and is a regular guest conductor of all the regional orchestras in his homeland of Denmark.

Øland is an experienced opera and theatre musician. In the spring 2025 he took the musical reins of the production of Poul Schierbeck’s opera ‘Fête Galante’ at The Danish National Opera, a landmark work given its first full staging since the 1960’s. In 2023 he conducted the Copenhagen Philharmonic at the Royal Danish Playhouse in the world premiere of The Danish Dance Theater’s commissioned work Leaning Tree, with music by Signe Lykke, a production subsequently nominated for a Reumert award.
He has among others conducted Mats Ek’s acclaimed production of ‘Juliet and Romeo’ at the Royal Swedish Ballet, Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Royal Danish Ballet and ‘The World of John Neumeier’ with the Hamburg State Ballet.
In Finland he has previously worked as Assistant Conductor at the prestigious Savonlinna Opera Festival, and has conducted a fully staged production of Britten’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s’ Dream with the Helsinki Sinfonietta.
In 2024, he conducted his first production at Theater Magdeburg, of Bizet’s opera Carmen, following three concert engagements with the Magdeburg Philharmonic. This led to his appointment as General Music Director of the theater, after a unanimous vote of the searching committee.

Øland was born in 1994 and studied piano and bassoon. His teachers and mentors at the Sibelius Academy’s renowned conducting department included Atso Almila, Hannu Lintu, Leif Segerstam, Jorma Panula, Herbert Blomstedt and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

In 2016, Øland received the Carl Nielsen Talent Prize and the Arne Hammelboe Travel Scholarship from the Danish Conductors Association.