Conducting Workshop with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and Geir Lysne January 8–9 2027
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and Danish Conductors Association invites you to apply for an exclusive two-day conducting workshop with Chief Conductor Geir Lysne and Aarhus Jazz Orchestra.
We are looking for experienced conductors with a strong artistic voice, professional ambitions and a clear desire to develop their work at the highest level.
Over two days, selected participants will conduct the orchestra in rehearsals with individual feedback and artistic sparring from Geir Lysne.
The workshop offers a rare opportunity to work directly with one of Europe’s leading professional jazz orchestras, and to receive focused feedback from an internationally experienced conductor.
We are looking for
Conductors with substantial practical experience and a strong motivation to develop their career and artistic leadership.
Your application should tell us:
- Which orchestras and ensembles you have conducted, and when
- What you want to achieve as a conductor, and where you see your career going
- Briefly, about other relevant musical work — for example as a conductor of classical music, as a musician, composer or arranger
Please also submit a three-minute video of yourself conducting. We prefer to see you working with a big band, but this is not essential. The recording does not need to be professionally produced — a phone recording is perfectly fine. What matters is that we can see you conduct.
Practical information:
Venue:
Turkis, Aarhus, Denmark
Possible early arrival: Thursday, January 7, evening: Geir is already in town, so if we have a reasonable number of participants already there, we will arrange a pre-talk.
Friday, January 8: Rehearsal with AJO: 10:00–14:00. Debrief: 14.30 -17:00
Saturday, January 9: Rehearsal with AJO: 10:00–14:00. Debrief: 14.30 -15:30
If you are a member of Danish Conductors Association, we cover travel expenses with DSB (normal ticket) or likewise within Denmark, reimbursed upon presentation of receipts.
You organize and pay accommodation yourself. We serve lunch during rehearsals
Application deadline:
1. November 2026
Send your application and video to kasserer@kapelmesterforening.dk
Participants will be selected by Geir Lysne, Chief Conductor, Jonas Johansen, workshop arranger and Signe Bisgaard, Artistic Director AJO.
Why this workshop?
Danish Conductors Association see it as a very important “raison d´etre” as they say (reason to be) to help developing todays and tomorrows bandleaders and conductors.
For that reason, we have arranged this course in collaboration with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. And we are so lucky, that AJO gives us opportunity to use their great band for this workshop.
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra has always been part of shaping what jazz can be. As Denmark’s only “basisensemble” for jazz (a state-supported professional ensemble with a national responsibility for developing the field) we create ambitious artistic projects and work closely with leading Danish and international artists, composers and conductors. Our work spans more than 60 concerts a year and ranges from new commissions and genre-crossing collaborations to major concert productions — always with the ambition to contribute to the continued development of the music.
With this workshop, we invite ambitious conductors into the professional environment of one of Europe’s leading big bands and give them the opportunity to work closely with Geir Lysne and some of the finest musicians on the Danish jazz scene.
Geir Lysne (b. 1965) is Chief Conductor of Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. He has worked with numerous professional jazz orchestras across Europe, including as Chief Conductor of the NDR Big Band in Hamburg from 2016 to 2025. He is also a professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo and has had a long career as a solo artist. Lysne has worked with artists like Bobby McFerrin, Joe Lovano, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Stefano Bolani and Nils Landgren. He also worked with classical ensembles like the 12 cellists of the Berliner Philharmonic, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Norwegian Wind Ensemble (curator since 2013) and Danish National Vocal Ensemble
For us, this is about creating opportunities today that can shape who leads the music tomorrow.
NB: We are looking for all kinds of conductors and band leaders. Not only Big Band conductors. But people who have experience leading orchestras using their hands and body language.
If you are ready to take your conducting to the next level, we want to hear from you.