Grete Pedersen is appointed principal conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum and professor in the practice of conducting at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) and Yale School of Music, New Haven, Connecticut, effective January 1, 2026. Pedersen joins Yale from the Norwegian Academy of Music where she served for over thirty years on the conducting faculty and mentored students from all over the world. In 2025 she ends a 35-year tenure as artistic director of the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir. She led this ensemble in performances at home and abroad and made dozens of recordings with them, receiving prizes including Gramophone Record of the Year, Diapason d’Or, Choc de la Musique, and the Spellemann Prize. She was also founding conductor of the Oslo Chamber Choir, which she led for twenty years.
Pedersen has been a leader in the historically informed performance movement and has appeared as guest conductor of the Freiburger Baroque Orchestra, Oslo Bach Ensemble, Norwegian Baroque Orchestra, the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, Lautten Company, Berlin, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco, among others. She appears frequently as conductor with choirs and orchestras alike, including the German Radio Choirs, the BBC Singers, Swedish Radio Choir, Danish Radio Vocal Ensemble, Croatian Radio Choir, Irish Chamber Choir, and the Netherland Chamber Choir. Orchestras include Ensemble Allegria, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and other Norwegian orchestras, Oslo Sinfonietta, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and Croatian Radio Orchestra.
In addition to Pedersen’s work in music of the 17th and 18th centuries, she is equally an enthusiast of new music, having commissioned and recorded works throughout her career including works by James MacMillan, Lasse Thoresen, and Stefan Schleiermacher. Further, she has a passion for the folk music of diverse cultures.
Pedersen was initially trained at the Norwegian State Academy of Music as an organist and church musician and held positions in this field for thirty years, and during these studies she added a year of theological training to her portfolio. In 2022 she was appointed artistic director and principal conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival where she leads a two-week series of concerts, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and lectures.
In 2019 Pedersen was appointed Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for her outstanding achievements in the arts and was awarded the Lindeman Prize to honor her significant contribution to the musical life of Norway. She records with BIS Records.
For information: ism.yale.edu.
Other recent appointments:
Nicole Keller to Truckenbrod roster
