Gunvald Ottesen

Gunvald is a conductor from Stord, an island town on the west coast of Norway. He spent his younger years in musical theatre, which has led him to specialise his conducting career in musical theatre and opera. He studied orchestral conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Parallell to his studies, Gunvald conducted several productions at the Oslo Opera Festival, and worked as assistant conductor for larger productions with Opera Østfold and NorrlandsOperan. Just after graduating, he made his debut with Gothenburg Opera, where he conducted a production of the musical Cabaret. He has later been assistant conductor at Bergen Nasjonale Opera and Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo. In recent years he has also conducted for a range of symphony orchestras, such as Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. Between 2019–2021, Gunvald participated in the elite conductor programme Dirigentforum, which aims to give experience and masterclasses to the most talented young conductors in Norway.

Photo: privat