Born in 1993 on the Norwegian west coast, Gunvald Ottesen is a conductor who bridges symphonic tradition with theatrical and cross-genre storytelling. Equally at home in the opera pit, musical theatre, or alongside jazz soloists, he is increasingly sought after for productions that dissolve the boundaries between concert and stage.

 

​His professional breakthrough came in 2020 with Gothenburg Opera’s production of Cabaret. Soon after, he was selected as Music Director for the Norwegian premiere of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ Kristina från Duvemåla at Bømlo Teater (2021, reprised 2023). At Folkoperan Stockholm, he led Così fan tutte under director Ulrike Schwab, followed by Tidens Larm — a musical theatre fusion featuring acclaimed Swedish actor Johan Ulveson, showcasing Gunvald’s flair for narrative-driven, cross-disciplinary work.

 

​In parallel, he has emerged as a new and exciting voice in orchestral-jazz collaboration. With the Arctic Philharmonic, he conducted the premiere performance of When did the colors change in collaboration wih pianist-composer Liv Andrea Hauge, and in the 2025/26 season he partners with acclaimed jazz pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff for a new symphonic jazz project with the same orchestra.

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Further recent highlights include house debuts with Bergen National Opera and the Bergen Philharmonic Amahl and the Night Visitors, and an upcoming season with the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, conducting both Christmas concerts and a new Così fan tutte with WOYS Young Artists. He also premiered the chamber opera nara at the Borealis Festival in Bergen and the Cacoyannis Foundation in Athens. e 2025/26 season will see him make his debut with e Nordic Chamber Orchestra conducting Kristina från Duvemåla and also his debut with the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, continuing to expand his artistic reach across Scandinavia.

 

​Beyond the stage, he has guest-conducted leading Scandinavian orchestras including the Stavanger Symphony, Norrköping Symphony, the orchestra of the Norwegian National Opera, and the orchestras of Gothenburg Opera and NorrlandsOperan, as well as multiple collaborations with Norway’s and Sweden’s top wind ensembles.

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Educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, with an early background in both violin and theatre, Gunvald’s work is defined by one artistic conviction - music in service of storytelling.