My childhood was a very peaceful and happy one. I grew up in the years after World War II, just in time not to realize or remember the horrors of the war. Danish visitors may read more from the first years of my childhood in chapter one from my memories here.

The Copenhagen Boys Choir

Eight years old, I was so happy, that my parents sent me to a music school, - the school of The Copenhagen Boys Choir. So I grew up as member of this fine boys choir, conducted by one of the most famous choir conductors in Denmark, Mogens Wöldike. He is perhaps the person, who has been most important for the development of Danish choir tradition in the 20th century. In the beginning of the century, he founded the Palestrina choir, with which he took up the old a cappella church music tradition, - something of a revolution at that time, in 1924 he continued, founding The Copenhagen Boys Choir, and a few years later, he became the father of the Danish Radio Chamber Choir, - the professional successor of the Palestrina Choir.

The time in the boys choir gave us all a basic professional education, and many Danish musicians and singers have started their career in this school. Danish visitors may continue reading some of my memories from this time of my life in chapter two of my memories here.

After my graduation I continued my studies of science of music at the University of Copenhagen and playing organ and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, where I took my diplomas, first as a church organist, later as an orchestra conductor.

In 1965, Mogens Wöldike offered me a position as his assistant organist at the Cathedral of Copenhagen. This was a great chance for a young musician, and in this way our relations continued and were developed through the following nearly 5 years. At this time Wöldike was an elderly gentleman, but still a very active as a conductor, and the greatest Danish church musician, I have ever met. Danish visitors may read more about my career as an organist and church music director in chapter three from my memories here.

Already in 1962 I was asked to join the team as a coach for The Copenhagen Boys Choir in the team preparing Wöldikes concert programs. This daily work including repetition and conducting was a fantastic experience for a young conductor. At the same time I started conducting amateur choirs.

Teaching and conducting

In 1969 I was offered a position as teacher, - later assistant professor - in conducting and organ playing at The Music Academy of West Jutland, which meant, that I the following 14 years spent two days every week in the city of Esbjerg, flying to and from. It was wonderful years at a small, but very efficient institution and in a very nice working atmosphere, - much different from The Royal Music Academy in Copenhagen.

In 1971 I was offered the position as Artistic Leader of Koncertforeningens Kor (The Choir of the Copenhagen Concert Society), - a position I now have held in more than 35 years! The repertoire of this choir is first of all the symphonic choir literature with big orchestra, and allow me to say, that I feel really at home, conducting the Requiems by Brahms and Verdi, the Passions by Bach, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Reger's Der hundertste Psalm or Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, just to mention a few of the wonderful works I have had the opportunity to perform with this choir. But the choir also exists in an a cappella edition, with which I have had numerous concert tours through the years that have passed.

From 1975 I began a new part of my conducting career, being for the first time engaged as conductor at a seminar for choir singers. Since then I have had numerous engagements at seminars and festivals both nationally and internationally. The most important ones were the famous Nordklang Festivals, held every three years in various Nordic countries, and the Europa Cantat Festivals in Herning 1994 and Linz 1997. Later followed international Master Classes and seminars, activities which are still going on, including all parts of the world and giving me great pleasure. Danish visitors may read more about my activities these years in chapter four from my memories here.

Conducting professional choirs

In the season 1982-1983 I was engaged as conductor of the Danish Radiochoir and the Danish Radio Chamber Choir. In 1985 I was asked to be coach for The Royal Opera Chorus in three projects: two operas and a concert performance of Penderezcki's Polish Requiem, conducted by the composer himself. This led to a contract as chief of The Royal Opera Chorus from 1986 until the summer of 1990, including stage conducting at the performances, - more than 100 every year. I am very grateful that I had this experience, - opera choir literature is wonderful, and the atmosphere back stage during a performance is really special. However, the many performances often made it difficult or even impossible for me to accept other exciting offers as a conductor, so I decided to stop after 5 seasons.

After having stopped at the Opera I began a comprehensive career on free lance basis. During a period of nearly 10 years I was every season engaged as guest conductor of the Groot Omroep Koor (The Netherland's Radio Choir), and I also had the opportunity to conduct the ORF Choir (The Austrian Radio Choir), Mitteldeutscher Rundfunkchor in Leipzig and The Hungarian Radio Choir in Budapest. I was engaged as conductor at international choir festivals and seminars for choir conductors, and I was invited to be jury member at numerous international choir competitions. Danish visitors may read more about my activities at The Opera and during the following years here.

In 1992 I was offered the position as Chief Conductor of The Danish Boys choir, and I held this position the following 14 years.

The IFCM World Symposium on Choral Music 2008

In 2004, The International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) decided, that The Eighth World Symposium on Choral Music 2008 (WSCM 8) should take place in Copenhagen. The Danish project organisation Choral Denmark was asked to arrange the symposium. At the beginning of 2005 I was appointed leader of this huge project, which took place July 2008 in the beautiful new Opera of Copenhagen, situated at the harbourfront. 29 of the world's best choirs performed aty about 60 concerts, and a series of internationally renowned choir specialists held workshops, master classes or took part in round table discussions. 1.160 delegates from 70 nations came to Copenhagen to participate in this event, which is considered to be the most important choral event in the world. Being the chief of this project and preparing it through three years has been one of the most demanding challenges of my career.

Back to business

After WSCM 8 I am now back on the conducting stage, making concerts, master classes or touring with my ensembles around the world, - or playing the organ at my fine Frobenius instrument at Dyssegaardskirken in Copenhagen.