Christian Karlsen, conductor

Born in Stockholm in 1985, the young conductor Christian Karlsen started learning the violin at the age of four. At the age of 13 he started lessons with the Finnish maestro Jorma Panula, who encouraged Christian to continue conducting. One year later he conducted an orchestra with members of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

From 2001 until 2004 he regularly conducted the Södra Latin Youth Orchestra. Other early engagements included conducting the opening concert at Stockholm New Music 2003 and Mozart Requiem at the Stockholm Music Festival.

Christian Karlsen had lessons with John Carewe in London and participated in international master classes given by Hartmut Haenchen and Jorma Panula. In 2008 Christian Karlsen had the opportunity to study contemporary music at the György Ligeti Academy with Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. He obtained his Master Degree from the Royal Conservatory, The Hague where he studied orchestral conducting with Jac van Steen.

Christian Karlsen has worked with among others the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, the Noord Nederlands Orchestra, Eindhoven Philharmonic, Gelders Orchestra, Orquesta National do Porto and Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He assisted Esa Pekka Salonen, Neeme Järvi, Reinbert de Leeuw and  Jac van Steen with Philharmonia Orchestra, Dortmund Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and Residentie Orchestra.

Having always been a strong advocate for the music of our time, he has led numerous world premieres, collaborated with composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Sofia Gubaidulina and worked with ensembles including the ASKO|Schönberg, Nieuw Ensemble and Theo Loevendie’s Ziggurat Ensemble. In May 2009 he conducted two performances of Gruppen by Karl-Heinz Stockhausen together with Reinbert de Leeuw and Baldur Brönnimann in Casa da Musica, Porto. He is also founding member and music director of New European Ensemble with whom he performed and recorded with on numerous occasions.

2011 - Do not alter without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.